No Paradise
by Porcelain.Memories
Summary: When her slim high heel skidded from her father s white limo, he thought that she was the prosopopeia of an angel trapped in a decadent Paradise. But the white gloves she wore to dot up her hands were smeared with blood and her lips soaked in poison. He knew it because he was ordered to taste her and use her to destroy her Mob family.
1. Entre Nous

_-CHAPTER 1-_ _ **Entre Nous**_

* * *

His light steps were tapping along the concrete strolling through the heavily illuminated filthy streets of his deprived neighborhood, fine-combing a hand through the maze of ebony locks, keeping his stare steadily straight, eschewing from the lustful stares that he got from the bombastic prostitutes who were shamefully advertising their voluptuous bodies to his discompassionate eyes.

 _Keep going..._

Nightlife in Konoha`s most deprived neighborhood _Sharingan_ was lush and flamboyant at this hour, and unfortunately this is also the moment when all the most annoying of headaches will make a throbbing ache simmer inside his temples, and the young male released a heavy breath through his lips in exasperation when deleterious tall person with a nutty outward aspect, tarnished clothes similar to his own, an unruly bristling beard and disheveled spikes tapped his shoulder and squeezed him hard with a daring jerk.

Any sweet idea of letting his nape hit the comfortable headrest of his sofa as quick as possible have swooped from his mind when he stopped dead in his tracks, shrieked away from the bold touch of that impish male, dusting his old leather jacket that was cupping his lissome torso like he was getting rid of garbage and hissed through clattering teeth like a venomous serpent. "Move it or you`ll lose it."

Elfin olive orbs being glazed by intoxication and bleeding ruby red tried to focus on the taller than him silhouette, grinning while rolling a bong between his grey burned fingers, leaning against the frame of a cheap local mini market` s door, his general atmosphere mixing perfectly with the urban decadence of the deviant place, where no sane living would want to reside. "Why so touchy? _Business_ problems, huh?"

"Why don`cha go and find some good _relief_ for your constant sexual frustration, instead of brooding around all the damn time?" The heavy cheap smoke from his joint came in whirling spirals from his thick lips, while his interlocutor was burning him with an incandescent stare that was capable of melting concrete and slaying through the thick smoke that he rudely blew against his face. "People like ya kills the mooood..."

The slurring in his voice accompanied by the poignant stench of contraband alcohol betrayed his inebriated state of mind, thus explaining the heavy slurring. "You`ll fucking die sometime soon Kiba. Mark my words, I am trying to give you a friendly advice."

One of the inhabitants of that deprived Godforsaken place that was even being avoided by Police Cops for being notoriously corrupted and soaked with illegal business going down here, courtesy to all the most reputed social rejects who were making a living here, was Inuzuka Kiba. " _Friendly_ advice you say, heh?"

He took a long drag from his joint, already feeling like the world around was smeared by an iridescent synesthesia of colors inducing the sweetest narcotized state of mind as he lost balance and tripped on his feet, stumbling two large steps froward to the stoic male, descending the concrete stairs, nearly bumping into his chest.

"There is no such shit as friendship here, dude," A trembling finger poked the chiseled planes of the male before him twice hard, making him tense through all his sturdy fibers as his atmosphere turned from dangerously stupendous to lethal and malice in a nanosecond. "and this is what is the best in places like this," Kiba let his muscled arm wreathe in a seemingly friendly manner around his companion`s sculpted shoulders, letting his glace orbs look around and pointing with his other hand that was cupping an empty bottle of beer.

"We are all _traders_ and _dealers_ ," bitter irony, resignation, a tinge of dark humor all coated into the lurid idiosyncratic insanity and effervescence that one who has just been released from prison possessed were spilling from his stuttering lips.

"We are all fucking _hypocrites_ , do you understand now?" He swayed on his own legs barely keeping himself in a proud vertical stance, being roughly pushed away off his person and he fell with his back against the stained dirty window of the shop, sliding down on his butt in a completely disheveled pathetic stance.

"There is no one to care enough for this Godforsaken place, Uchiha!" His head was rolling along with his shoulders as he was shouting out words that got him equally vitreous stares from the by passers, in vibrant, acquiesce and confirmation. "Look around ya and smell it, feel it! This is shit we are living into and it will swallow us all one day but you know what is the beauty of it? That we will all be going down _together_! And no one will give a flying fuck! And that will be pure deliverance!"

Those were the words that he kept on repeating like a self-mantra and a personal praying over and over again, every night at the same hour, making from that place where his now limp form drenched in the leftover of beer that rolled from his hand and leaked its content forming a small pool around his head, drenching his dirty hair.

Kiba was a drug addict to the core and a society reject, an orphan whose 'noble' lineage went back into the days when his parents have been bank robbers and died during their last 'performance' shoot by the cops, leaving him a deprived orphan.

He was living on the streets, just like many of the equally alienated rejects of the society, forgotten by the ritzy life that spanned beyond the horizons of their neighborhood, a place that was posing as the sublime salvation, a dream, an aspiration for a better life, something as intangible as it was deceiving -they could smell the taste of the vibrant city hear their never-ending life vibrating, taste the appetizing aromas, see the tall buildings exuding with prosperity and wealth, revel in the idea of walking beyond their ghostly Gehenna.

Inuzuka Kiba has been denied **Paradise** , just like all of them. "Fool... you are all such fools." Sasuke kicked the intoxicated male in his tarnished sneakers with the tip of his shoe, getting a sudden jerk of his left leg, signaling that he was not dead yet. "You will die here Kiba and you will die in vain."

All for nothing, for a dream, for a moment of pleasure, he refused to live, to find something better. He chose drugs, so he chose death by default. His bare arms were creased by bruises, burning red cuts from the shots he was injecting into his veins and street fights and covered in intricate tattoos with animals and tribal motifs.

Sighing, Sasuke tapped the bottom of his pockets with his hands in a peculiar manner, turning his back on the messy male that was drooling over the pavements and crossed the zebra without preoccupying himself with the color of the flickering stop. There was barely anyone in that area with a functional car to drive and even if it was, they will slam the brake to the floor upon seeing him walk around.

"Don`t listen to his bullshit, Sasuke," Orbs coated in the tinge of the deepest shade of charcoal shuffled to his left as he was following the sullen contours of the tall leafless oak trees spilled along the alley of a dubious park that he was supposed to traverse on his way to his home, to the source of the sultry practiced tone, not slowing down once. "you know how Kiba is when he gets high. Why don`t you take a break and stop by my place for a coffee and..." here is where her lips curled in a more seductive resonance, as she flickered a hand along her lush curves naughtily and winded her hips to him, coming to cross his path. "...maybe something sweeter and _spicier_?"

The vulgar perfume applied in heavy puffs behind her earlobes and pulse overflown Sasuke`s nostrils as she patted his chest with a practiced ghost of a touch with her bright red long manicured nails, letting a finger slide down the swells of his abdomen that was deliciously chiseled under the slim fit dark shirt, giving him a cheap look to complete the not so subtle sultry invitation. "You can trade your generous offers somewhere else, Ino. I am not interested."

Sasuke rudely sidestepped as Ino`s finger fell from his body, letting out a humorless giggle that was as childish and innocent as it was not matching her reputation of a high-class prostitute, or so she considered herself to be, because, in reality, Ino was one of the most reputed streetwalkers and definitely one of the most forward in her gestures and the phrase 'no inhibition' was part of the trademark.

"Why are you so afraid? I don`t bite... if you don`t ask me to. Or you consider yourself to be too _royal_ and _exquisite_ to sleep with deprived cheap whores like me, ne Sasuke- _kun_?" Said Uchiha`s heels tapped hard against the concrete as the fading dirty golden lights from the flickering bulbs were getting blurred and almost unable to penetrate through the darkest corners as she fell into steps with him.

For as long as she has known this mysterious Uchiha, Ino, as well as the other women around, mostly falling into the category of prostitutes have not refrained from being provocative, but he was as much as a dark horse as he was insanely sexy, even with his equally cheap and dirty look.

He was always refusing them and rumors erupted among their small community of socially rejects that he was having big _issues_ but then again, Sasuke was not a man who anyone wanted to mess with if they knew what was good for them, they always kept the distance.

Of course, with some exceptions but Sasuke was hardly someone violent. He would rather not immix with anyone albeit he was living the same life of a nearly beggar, consuming the same out of date food from the local market, smoked the same cheap cigars albeit he never did drugs, refreshed his senses with the same energy drinks and alcohol and blended with the others through his messy torn clothes.

He whirled on his heel, coiled a toned arm around her waist and let his obsidian orbs skim along her bare model legs, her hips that were cupped by a glitter purple mini skirt and the mini top that barely wrapped her voluptuous breasts framed by no bra underneath and, as he breathed in her sluttish vestment, Sasuke dipped his head down to bruise her glossy lips in a heavy dark kiss, mashing his tongue with her own and suckling the life out of her through a heated indecent wet French kiss that left her breathless.

The Uchiha retracted his lips from hers before she started to enjoy herself and get foolish ideas into those glace azurite orbs, wrapping his digits around her bony wrist stopping her when her palm that was resting on his abdomen skimmed south between his thighs, kneading the bulge into his pants with the back of her palm, getting no reaction in response; like always, Uchiha was the epitome of self-control.

 _Keep going..._

"Let just says that I found some _other_ stuff to keep me heavily _entertained,_ Ino." His magnetizing voice came in droplets of chocolate and rich wine as he breathed the words on her ear, hotly, sensually, making the blonde Yamanaka, former aspiring actress with an insane talent for Shakespearean tragedies and an inborn genius for romantic novels who has been tricked by a corrupted producer who left her jobless, bankrupt and broken hearted and current hooker, moan in delight.

"And," She crooned appealingly between gasps of air, trying to charm the always phlegmatic Uchiha, without luck. Those sable eyes were too deep to pierce, too cold, too dangerous and fast to catch, speaking of anything and yet nothing at all, playing with her, while they took a sharper glint. "what would that be?"

Here is where his sensuous lips pressed into a firm line as he strengthened his hold on her wrist and effortlessly he bent her hand painfully so as to whirl her around like a puppet and slammed her back against her chest, keeping her a captive, snarling darkly to the blonde in a lethal resonance which was so opposing to how his hot gestures were. "Now now Ino, haven`t you heard that curiosity has killed the _cat_?" And by that emphasize on the word, Sasuke also pointed to her shameful _job_.

"We don`t want to ruin our _friends`_ dream business by leaving you in a pool of blood to make the headlines now, do we Ino?" A subtle tilt of his head so as to make his ebon locks collide with the frisky frolicsomeness in his eyes turned the air around electric in both danger and sexiness.

Ino`s orbs followed the same line of vision as Sasuke`s as her rococo baby blue eyes downcast in sadness upon seeing her rather disappointed _boss_ Asuma Sarutobi playing with a sharp knife and glaring at the blonde for taking a slack instead of working thus depriving him of dirty money and they all knew what that male was capable of when displeased. The bruises and cuts on her arms and legs that she concealed under tons of makeup were evidence enough. "Please..."

Her smile was strangled, forced and seeping with smothered tears, appealing to the Uchiha to at least keep appearances but he was not listening to what she was saying, rather than held Asuma`s stern glare with one of his trademarks one, making the grown up adult shriek away from those horrible eyes and look away then he whispered. "Go plead with a _priest_ and not me or get a goddamn decent job that is... if you have any fragment of decency left in your stained body."

Mumbling a vicious _annoying_ through clenched teeth, Sasuke pushed the blonde roughly off his person and making those high heeled legs stumbled two steps front and she almost tripped on the broken pavements, shouting after him. "What the fuck is your problem, huh?! You are not better than any of us, you cheap prick!"

Sasuke didn`t return her insult nor did he turned his head around to acknowledge her threat.

 _Keep going..._

A gang of messy hooligans eyed him smirking and grinning as he passed the school`s old and decaying outline, taking a sharp detour to cut the distance short by crossing the back yard where delinquent youths were using the place as an improvised basketball court.

They watched his lithe form ripple along the shadows of the poorly illuminated street with fear, fascination and a pang of jealousy and chagrin that he dare to intervene into their intense game with such an arrogant nonchalance, not sparing them any single glance. They wisely backed away off his path, leaving him be without engaging him in a fight like they normally would.

Not after he took on Aburame Shino`s gang of drug dealers last mouth alone and armed with only his distinctive combat knife with split edges, in less than ten minutes, coming victorious without a single scratch on his body. And he also burned down their entire marijuana production with a single flicker of his lighter and gasoline that he took from their leader`s ravaged old Mustang.

Uchiha Sasuke was on a league of his own. Orbs were following him weary, they were smirking with wicked crazy intent at him but never approach him or look him in the eyes -a grave mistake for those who wanted to engage him in a fight and provoke him, women were lusting after his looks of danger and filigree sensuality but not many were daring enough to tempt him -Ino was an exception because they were tad more on friendly terms with each other since they were some kind of neighbors, the most badass gang leaders who were stupid enough to insult him in a deviant way to defend their blown ego, were never actually keeping the traits to beat him to a pulp or kill him.

Everyone in the Sharingan was both fearing him and respected him. Uchiha was a demon in disguise, an anfractuous enigma, they knew nothing of his past except for some horrible rumors circulating about his family being murdered in cold blood in a night and his older brother committing suicide by jumping off the Great Naruto Bridge, no one knew what he did for a living, albeit he always left his apartment at dawn and came back late and he was falling into the category of _badass_ characters who was going into the _city_ -the place they looked at with hope and aspiration, like Providence.

What he did there was a mystery; whispers were fluttering behind his lissome steps that he was dealing drugs, or he has involved with underground gangs of illegal street fights or even guns trafficking but no one has been daring enough to follow him. He was famous for being more than mentally and physically capable of killing them in a blink of an eye.

The combat knife dangling on his loose ripped tarnished Jeans` leather belt was evidence enough and he has been wicked enough not to have it cleaned by the stains of dry blood along the sharp blades. His general aura was making people stop in their tracks like struck by lightning in both fear and fascination.

"Have you heard that?" Konohamaru, a drop out from school and currently involved in car thefts prompted his orange basketball under his armpit, whispering to a skinny tomboy looking female with peculiar ponytails poking her head low so as not to be heard by the Uchiha. "I heard it from Kiba who heard it from Ino who heard it from a dude from Aburame clan who heard it from a client of Anko Mitarashi that lives in a shit expensive flat on the city that Uchiha works for a strong criminal family of Mobsters."

"No shit!" Moegi`s orbs narrowed mischievously as she was chewing from her grapefruit lollipop, tapping her feet on the concrete, she too looking after Uchiha but unlike the other females she was absolutely unfazed by his gorgeous looks; because she was lesbian. "I always had a hunch that this guy ain`t funny business."

"Then why is he still living here like a beggar?" Udon, they childhood friend and another of the three famous orphans whose parents have gone bankrupt overnight and committed suicide leaving the kids without parents and money, eventually ending up in the streets finding shelter in the Hell that was Sharingan, closed in to the group, whipping the sticky mucus dangling from his huge nostrils with the back of his palm, fixing his glasses that were way weaker than his huge myopia, barely seeing anything clearly. "I heard someone saying that he is loaded and everything he does is just an act."

"You can never be sure when it comes to this guy but I _do_ know fo` sure that I wouldn`t want to get tangled with him. I heard that he has killed people before and no one knows what he did with their bodies afterwards."

"Fucking scary." Moegi took the ball from his hands when Konohamaru let his orbs shuffle from the Uchiha`s shadow that went around the corner to a brisk movement sneaking behind his back without being seen. "C`mon, we ain`t over and you still owe me the next meal if I whoop your asses."

Konohamaru grinned silently before whirling on his heel and joining the gang resuming their game. Moegi was the only girl who refused to go into prostitution and instead, she joined the local dirty garage for helping Jiraiya the Head mechanic with his job, rapidly becoming one of the best. The payment was definitely not as high as a whore or a dancer`s in the clubs tip, but it was definitely more decent and she was fine with that. It did not mean the fact that she was not equally poor and almost went to bed starving but Jiraiya and the rest were just as penniless.

They helped each other and cared for each other like family. This was Sharingan -a living Hell where all of them were brothers, sisters and sharing the same fate.

 _Keep going..._

He knew he was being followed, his high alert senses were running haywire drumming into his vessels but he remained disimpassioned and the same stoic calm bastard that made people pull the hairs off their heads at how annoying his personality was, fingering the keys into his pocket as he took the stairs to the third floor of that building with peeling walls, scurrying rats and kitchen bugs wandering around, single young moms with crying children running along the hall screaming and making his goddamn head pound, couples eloping here to entangle into a dreamy marriage against their families` consent now living in poverty and misery shouting obscenities and reenacting Romeo and Juliet, hipsters and rockers roaming around high and happy in their own illusion away from reality, nearly bumping into him, but Sasuke kept his hand in front of his face, shoving every high fucker who might collide with his form out of his way.

The last wooden scratched door with questionable marks written in graffiti on it was his Gate to Paradise. He exhaled deeply as he avoided a shoe that has missed the targeted to hit his face as he twisted the key into the lock and kicked the door open with his leg, sighing heavily in exasperation.

The words 'you fucking traitorous cheater', 'you were fucking that slut into our bed' and 'you never work while I am the one supporting you and you spend the money on alcohol and cigars' echoed along the hall. Sasuke slammed the door shut behind him, revealing into the silence. The interior of his 'cave' was soundproof albeit no one could guess since it looked just as ghostly and abandoned as the rest.

"Fucking idiots..." Not even bothering to turn the lights on -were they still functional, Sasuke kicked his sneakers off his feet aimlessly, in the same place where the equally worn out jacket landed heading to the small kitchen. There was no word to describe the place he lived in, except for a mouse hole.

His apartment was, in reality, a single small room, separated by a single wall where an improvised kitchen was and the toilet was at the end of every hall, sharing it with the other neighbors and it was worse than any toilet in any horror movie or students campuses, being dirty, leaking, smelly and never unoccupied; the words hygienic and sanitary were as ridiculous as they were nonexistent in a building that no one would even start to imagine living.

Yup, definitely NOT Paradise. "Don`t tell me that idiot..." Opening up his mini fridge, a vein poked on the rim of his temple when realizing that he only had one beer left and a leftover of a chicken sandwich and tomatoes. His home was filled with tomatoes like he was a gardener having an obsession with them.

Racking an embittered hand through the mash of inky locks removing them from poking his onyx eyes, Sasuke grabbed the half empty beer and the sandwich, mumbling under his breath as he rolled his shirt upwards to slide it from his torso, while unbuckling the belt of his Jeans freeing his sculpted body from the hinges of his regular attire, remaining nude except for his dark boxers that hung low against the outline of his defined waist, throwing his ass on the sofa, a remote control playing between his fingers.

Lazily he zapped the channels until he found a bloody Western movie, skipping through the ones with hot news and politics, putting the volume up to cover the pounding of his escalating headache, sinking into the couch and munching on his improvised dinner.

Five minutes later, someone has jumped right through his opened window like a feline and if he wasn`t used to this by now smartly leaving it open so as not to have the glass broken again, he would have slept with the cold wind blowing on his naked ass. A loud reprehensible voice shrieked. "Oi Bastard, watcha doing? Already brooding and it`s like what? 1:45 a.m.? C`mon, this is the time when all the fun begins and all the homies are back in town, believe it!"

Now THAT was something that almost had Sasuke quirk a finely carved eyebrow up in annoyance, but he was plainly too lazy and tired to do that so he merely sneered not removing his eyes from the TV. Two rival cowboys were shooting each other and fighting for a piece of land full of cows and horses. "Man I`ve shouted at you but you didn`t hear me! What the hell Sasuke?"

Said Uchiha could hear the blonde approaching him, and with an easy feline push up against the headrest of the sofa, he propelled himself beside Sasuke, grinning brightly from ear to ear and screaming in his ears. "Oi, why are you ignoring me for? You`re such a crazy Teme, you know?"

"What do you want Naruto?" Sasuke`s response came as half of his thin lips curled down in a scowl. This was the most obstreperous person that the Uchiha has ever met. Uzumaki Naruto was his self-proclaimed best friend, who was kindly transgressing the privacy of his quiet home by jumping from his window at the same hour to annoy the fuck out of him, always raiding his fridge because the money he earned from being a cashier at the local Ramen shop -because Moegi was faster than him to steal the job of a mechanic right from under his nose, were insufficient for decent booze and blabbering about things that Sasuke was not listening to him.

At all.

Then he disappeared at some point to wander aimlessly through the streets until the morning. As he didn`t have a home of his own, he usually slept under the bridge, or the sinister dirty metro station or a bench in the park, sometimes sharing the same space under the twinkling stars with Kiba the druggie addict. Yup, his life was far from a good one, but this male was unique.

The bizarre creature with his eternal ostentation orange shirt with the label Kyuubi ebbed on the chest and bright eyes was always smiling, oozing of a contagious optimism and never ever gave up; he swore to make it to the city one day and start anew, fighting for a better life.

He refused to rent or buy a room because he was saving money. What money, Sasuke had no idea and nor did the care. Naruto was annoying, his implied friendship with him was annoying, his obnoxious voice was annoying, his habit of drinking his beers and eating his food was equally annoying as barging into his room on the window, his grinning was annoying and everything they had in common was a street fight that they have been on the same side, stomping on their rivals.

But that was all. Ever since then, Uzumaki claimed that they had some sort of eternal _bond_ between losers going on, except for the fact that Sasuke seemed to tolerate him more than acknowledge him and they were completely antithetical in personalities. "...Can you believe it?" The blonde finished with a shriek leaning towards Sasuke, snatching the sandwich from his chest as the Uchiha was busy changing channels and chewing on it, speaking with his mouth wide open.

"What?" Of course, that Sasuke didn`t bother to listen to him because seriously, when has Naruto said something useful for him to be interested in? "Why are you still here for dobe? Fuck off, I`m damn tired and... why are you eating my food? Don`t you have any shame?"

"Nah, I am just doing it to annoy you," He sputtered between large bits of food, shrugging indifferently. "I was saying that Tenten got arrested yesterday night." That made Sasuke`s lips tap against the bottle without angling it to let the content overfill his burning sore throat.

"No shit? What for?"

"No idea," Naruto pressed his index finger under his chin, crossing his legs atop Sasuke`s small coffee table. "something about illegal possession of arms into a club and smoking weed in a club that prohibited it. They asked for one hell of a bail otherwise, she will spend some months in prison."

"Sucks." The Uchiha shrugged the topic of indifferently, knowing it all too well that Tentenhad the money to trade them for her freedom because she was part of the illegal gang of street fighting between women and she waste current champion.

Huge bets were made there and thus she earned a fair share of the money. Tenten was a reject with money, but she remained down on earth, an independent woman being part of the new wave of the feminist movement promoting the women`s worth and emancipation and she was friendly and kind with everyone. A contradiction -sweet on the day and lioness on the night. And she was another female like Moegi who didn`t become a crack whore.

And her criminal record was thicker than the Criminal Code itself, not that she minded it. Almost every one of the Sharingan inhabitants was part of the Police Database 'collection'. They were people who the society considered to be dangerous and set a bad example and that was the reason why they were outcasts rejoicing.

"Meh, she will just pay for the bail, show them the middle finger, throw a tantrum, insult them for being racist pigs and return to business."

"Last time I heard, she smacked a cop and she got fined and took two weeks of community service."

"Yeah, it makes me shriek to imagine Tenten collecting garbage or cleaning the dirt from the rivers. Yuk."

"Dobe," The rather serious and lower tone in Uchiha`s voice had a pair of azurite orbs shuffle to him. It was one of the rare moments when Sasuke seemed truly interested in engaging this idiot into a conversation. "why are you chasing after me?"

That was a question which was both unexplainable as it was easy, so Naruto simply cracked a beam that overshadowed the sun and sung like a canary. "Because you are my best friend."

Sasuke glimmered once like pondering what Naruto was saying. "I`ve heard this more than your favorite Rolling Stones vinyl. What does this mean to you?"

"Ain`t ever really thought about this really," Embarrassment took the manifestation of a rub against his nape as Naruto seemed to work his neurons hard to concoct a coherent answer. "it`s just that when we fought, I had this feeling that you were alone and needed someone to feel this pain but at the same time, you don`t want the others to see how miserable you are and so you make them be scared of you and sulk here alone." This is when Naruto became deadly serious and it was scary to see this man so seemingly wise. "And it pains me to see you suffering."

Like expectedly, Sasuke was completely unfazed about his words. He was not denying them but either accepting them. The fact that he was not telling him off was evidence enough for everybody ton consider the blonde as Sasuke`s best friend, but if they were scared shitless of Uchiha and his dark background, Naruto on the other hand easily passed as mentally deranged.

Some people considered him to have been completely nutty ever since his parents died on a plane crash when he was a baby boy. Some were saying such things about him was because of his deviant behavior and impossible dreams. But who knew better?

It was not fazing Sasuke in fact, he was silently praising Naruto for keeping on his dreams, as illusory as they were and thus never giving up. It took a lot of courage to never give up and continue hoping and dreaming. "Bullshit. You just want me to beat the crap out of you. I think you are a masochist dobe." But he was funny to see; a ray of sunlight amidst those crepuscule streets. Somehow, it made Sasuke`s gloomy boring life tad better.

 _Keep going..._

 _"_ Now get out of my home. I want to sleep."

"Can I sleep here?"

"No."

"Can I have another beer?"

"This was the last one, courtesy of you who never buy me another to replace it." He was joking of course. Sasuke knew that Naruto was poorer than any of them, maybe with the exception of Kiba because he never stole or did anything illegal. He was honest, humble, kind and stupidly correct. So he was a notorious beggar.

"You are such a bastard. Where do you get your money from anyway? I know that it must be some serious shit but man... some say that you are involved with Mobsters. Is that true?" It was not like Naruto was an imbecile constantly high and in cloud nine and rumors circulated fast into their neighborhood.

Plus, he trusted Sasuke and claimed to know him better than anyone else but the Uchiha had the same laconic response for everything, saying so much nothingness through a word that encompassed everything. "From here and there, nothing much. Just enough to have me keep on going." Which meant that he only got money for drinks and food, because no one paid the rent to an abandoned building.

Naruto got up abruptly brushing his fingers through his bristle spikes, sighing and heading to the door. Naruto had this paranoid habit that he was respecting religiously. He got inside through the window but always left on the door, like following a karmic cycle which broke the bad omen. He was full of questionable manners and someone as intuitive as Uchiha Sasuke caught it easily analyzed it and easily depicted his character.

"One day when you are ready Sasuke," He lingered one more moment in his doorsteps while whipping the grease on his hands off his ripped sweat pants speaking in a tone that was not matching his goofy personality. "I will be here to listen."

He left with those missives lingering behind his frame, while Sasuke only blinked slowly once, pondering his words but never saying anything more than his peculiar silent manner of responding to everything using reverse psychology; his quietude was his most expressive way of saying anything and yet keeping his life coated in mystery.

Naruto wanted the truth from him, but Sasuke will never open up to anyone. Somehow, the blonde dobe was able to sneak inside his mind and plant the seed of camaraderie, brotherhood, and friendship into his head, but Sasuke will never fall for such cheap psychology, because in reality... he was an _expert._

"Tch, how annoying." It was not Sasuke`s nature to be an antisocial paranoid prick with questionable criminal behavior and laconic mannerism or standoffish tendencies, only someone who had a good reason to keep his life as a secret from anyone else.

 _Riiing Riiing_

A hard rock tune buzzed from his phone that he, unfortunately, kept in the chest pocket of his jacket -the same that he tossed on the other side of the room, landing atop a shelf with a single cactus plant. Eying the ID of the caller, he couldn`t help but let his orbs hit the back of his head in exasperation sighing and running a hand through his messy locks. "You do realize that I have been working my ass for the past two days without having a single hour of sleep and only worked on caffeine, right?"

An equally sarcastic husky voice graced him from the other side of the line, making the Uchiha`s nerves sink in exasperation. _"Maybe, but I do realize that you are so conveniently paid for overworking your lazy ass so stop complaining Uchiha and hear me out, this is important. I wouldn`t have cut my sake break short just to hear you mop if it wasn`t."_

Apparently calm and composed, Sasuke listened to the woman talking, waiting for her in practiced patience to nourish her addiction for her favorite beverage by sipping from it, before she spoke again. "I will do my best to appear like I am listening."

 _"You are such a conceited bastard,"_ She mirrored Naruto`s words with a frightening precision before resuming her speech. She was always a drama queen and liked to exaggerate everything to the point it became ridiculous and seemingly harder than it was. At least for someone of his caliber. _"But then again, this makes you my best man so hear me out. I have a mission for you."_

"Now that`s a line that I hear it more often than good morning greeting."

 _"It`s an S-Class Mission. A top secret one."_ Limber shoulders tensed in an involuntary reaction to the news that he was hearing and immediately his attention has been focused on digesting every word.

"I am all ears."

 _"Our men found out about a top notch Mob setting his eyes on Sharingan and apparently, he and his men will get there by tomorrow morning. We have a suspicion that he wants to start a new black market using the Sharingan as some sort of HQ if you know what I mean."_

"Aa."

 _"We must catch this bastard before they take over the underground world and control the black market."_ That was plainly obvious, Sasuke mentally added. _"Understand that it is highly imperative for us to throw those assholes in jail as soon as possible."_

"Who might those fuckers be? Do I know them?" Because his vast knowledge in the world of Mobsters and reputed criminals was Sasuke`s specialty.

 _"I doubt you do. They have been keeping a low profile until some months ago when they took over the Sound and the Sand and now they are targeting Konoha. They usually operate from the shadows and have their own trained faithful lackeys to do their dirty job and take over the most deprived places first, then aim for the biggest cities. And so they manage to control the entire illegal markets and have every single illegal shit under their umbrella. They operate like one big corporation which is perfectly legal only on paper because,in reality, they use it as a shield for their illegal activity. And they have many adepts and connections. The organization is almost impossible to penetrate. All our men have failed and some have disappeared without a trace while trying to get information with no success. All we have are speculations and rumors and blurred messages, so this naturally makes this job even more difficult."_

In reality, it was more than difficult what she was asking him to do. So basically Sasuke had to penetrate a hermetic criminal organization and break it from inside out by stealing Intel and not only that, but he was also required to blend with them and then came the hardest part -gain their trust.

And the notion of trust and the concept behind this entire phenomenon was seemingly unapproachable in his world or did not completely mold on his personality, but then again, Uchiha Sasuke could be very versatile and potent when it came to operating with the people`s minds and work on their emotions, rather than focus on something as superficial as trying to blend in.

Because he has learned a valuable lesson during his journey alone as an orphan who has been a tormented witness of his clan`s massacre -the one who comes successful from manipulating the darkness inside their hearts, then he will stand atop of the world.

Now question was, what was the darkness of an already dark organization? Those mind riddles, analytical, psychological and philosophical ideologies were exciting for Sasuke and thus his job was never boring. "I accept. What are the details?"

 _"I expect you tomorrow morning into my office and I will hand you all the data we have with further instructions. They are already inside the country and heading here, I suppose with their private jet or limos. Keep an eye open until then and be cautious. They might have spies already implanted there to scout the surroundings and know the waters they are swimming inside. I am sure you understand it."_

Immediately a list of various names which had familiar faces attached to it rippled along the flow of his flawless memory -Naruto, Ino, Kiba, Shino, Asuma, Kakashi or... Naruto. That dobe has always been someone who made suspicion turn Sasuke into a bigger paranoid than he was. "I do in fact. I am not that stupid as you make me be, Tsunade." She was a proud representative of the feminist movement and pretty much like Tenten`s headstrong personality, the name Senju came with praise, notoriety, credibility, fame and reputation.

She knew when to be stoic, strict, serious and work in a professional climate, and also when to be alluring, sensual, seductive and appealing without being vulgar or less tactful and elegant. And she was his boss which was highly inconvenient because getting orders from a woman, no matter how admirable and more than capable she was, was bothersome.

And not because of some preconceptions of his regarding women because Sasuke respected women and was more polite towards the female sex than with the men, but because she was volcanic, temperamental and emotional and she was venting her nerves on him.

And she was a top notch Kung Fu black belt with a harder punch than a male`s.

And she liked to use those punches not only to crush on her desk or windows.

Then she sulked and drown in alcohol and he ended up carrying her home or finish her job that her secretary who was a sweet kind hearted woman, who had a good word for everyone and never offended anyone, but she was also a foreigner who didn`t speak English and thus he ended up both taking care of Tsunade and doing her _paperwork._

Namely, he worked overtime without being extra paid for it. to that Sasuke was to being highly paid because that would be hypocrisy. Adding it to his Uchiha fortune which was placed safely on a bank account in Switzerland that was getting rusty and long forgotten because he didn`t touch a single penny of it, Sasuke was fairly wealthy, but money was his last point of interest.

He plainly didn`t give a shit about money. He lived in poverty just like his neighbors without having a problem with that and occasionally he offered money to orphans like him, making generous donations to orphanages of course, without anyone to notice it.

And this is why they all thought that he was involved in illegal stuff. That was a good source of private entertainment for Sasuke and his colleagues who knew the truth and jokes were overflowing about that topic.

 _"I know I know Jeez. I am just trying to take care of your brat. God only knows what a pain in the ass you are all emo and always brooding at everything that moves and did you no harm,"_ This is when Sasuke let out a humorless snort. _He_ was a pain in the ass? _She_ was working him a a her slave and she was the one complaining. Women... _"just... be here on time ok? I want to see your ugly face in my office tomorrow at 7:00, not a single minute later or I will name you as a rookie trainer."_

The Uchiha nearly hit his head against the armrest as he drew a blanket over his naked form, slipping his unoccupied hand under the elastic band of his dark boxers, letting them slide down his toned thighs and threw them in the washing machine, lying on his tummy on the couch that served a double purpose, still hearing the woman blabber being half in this world and half of the sweet sake mirage.

His lids were feeling heavy and his orbs dusty and stinging. Damn he was so SO tired! Then her last threat has been dominated inside his brain and he nearly crooked an eyebrow up -because Uchiha was famous for never reacting in any situation and that smart approach made him a guaranteed winner from every psychological confrontation.

Always being in control over his emotions was part of his arsenal and apart from the emotional intelligence, his intellect was on par with the other honed skills. Of course, waking up earlier than 10:00 was taboo for him but seriously... dealing with the rookies was too low even for Tsunade. But so was his task of a high importance. "You wouldn`t dare."

 _"Don`t you dare to provoke me brat because I have no problem in kindly reminding you what I am capable off. Be here on time or I will personally come after you to drag your ass here and you won`t like it, of that, I promise."_

And she meant every part of it. Tsunade had that seductive unpredictability which both stunned and shocked the audience and she once dragged one of her subordinates from the shower because he was half an hour late for an urgent briefing. And he was still naked and only dropped into a shower curtain, dripping hair with bubbles of shampoo foam atop his head and an embarrassed expression on his flushed face.

"I`m hanging up. Good night, you old Hag." Tsunade absolutely abhorred any word addressed to her that might emphasize or refer to her age –one that was not nowhere near her physical beauty and seemingly younger appearance.

 _"Why you little-"_

An almost limp finger tapped on the _End_ button, cutting the blonde half-drunk woman short, knowing that she finished off what she had to say and was important and she would start to blabber and use him as a punching bag and the patient listener that he was... not.

"Annoying."

Sleep came to him short after, while his phone aside from his fingers on the carpet soundless and symbolically. He was worn out, exhausted and now another hard tiring mission has been given to him. The reason behind his actions, that seemingly pathetic life of indulging into a boring uneventful life with the same routine was simple -he was paying homage to both his deceased father and a childhood dream, but the fact that he accomplished the last one didn't mean that it healed the wound caused by losing the first one.

He was empty on the inside, the hollow inside his chest was deep and so was his obscure heart. He was a broken torn young man with no other expectations in life, rather than simply continuing living his life with no emotion or passion poured into it.

 _Keep going..._ was the only motivation he had, unlike Naruto whose creed was comprised of a very inspiriting line _never going back on my word._ It made Sasuke`s motto look pathetic.

A round full moon shone through his half-closed window as its pale rays spilled across half of his dark room. A small lucent of a golden object was reflecting the light as the words carved in relief become visible from the badge that was concealed under his leather jacket. It wrote-

 _Federal Bureau of Investigation,_ _ **Special Agent**_.

Uchiha Sasuke was the greatest _FBI agent_ working undercover for ten years and his current mission was to infiltrate into one of the high ranked Mob families in the Five Nations.

The _Haruno_ family.

He was yet to learn all the details by tomorrow morning about how exactly will he infiltrate into the family and collect enough data to throw them in jail once and for all.

.

.

.

* * *

A/N: Yes I know that this unexpected new story is puzzling and totally r. a. n. d. o. m, but if it looks a little bit familiar know that this is a new story that I imagined a little while ago, but published it on newer account of mine: **ChocolateMasquerade**. Do _not_ ask me for the reason why I made another one... point is, I could not delete it so I will only leave it inactive for now and thus deleted this story from there and uploaded here for convenience because I do not plan to leave it unfinished and... merely written on a crochet of mine. No worries because it is not going to affect my other stories. So in case that anyone recognize this story -and hopefully likes it- know that this is not plagiarism of any sorts, that account also belongs to _me_ and has been removed from there.


	2. And so we met… Two sinners in Paradise

— _CHAPTER 2—_ _ **And so we met… Two sinners in Paradise**_

* * *

"Absolutely not!" Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose sighing while glaring at the Uchiha before her. Those were his first words after he skimmed through the file of his mission. "It`s not even debatable!"

Suigetsu was sitting on one of the chairs, lolling backwards in perfect balance and playing with his new gun seemingly fascinated. he was used to those two bickering like an old married couple.

"And seriously what`s with your tendencies to barge into _my_ office uninvited and throw a tantrum at such an unholy hour in the morning? Are you possibly not sleeping well?"

"You called me here last night, remember? Of course... reeling for _sake_ but still an official call it was. Tsk," Ignoring her last statement, even though Tsunade was also part of the Senior Staff, he clipped.

"What do I have to do exactly? Also, if I remember correctly _you_ have summoned me at this ungodly hour; otherwise, you wouldn't have caught me dead traipsing through the halls of this perturbing building."

 _And have all the female co-workers ogle, gasp, drool and fawn over him in animalistic desire_.

"I was under the impression that you know how to read and still comprehend Japanese Uchiha. It was written neatly in the file that I have handed to your, faxed you THREE times and sent it via email so as to make sure that you get a glimpse you brat."

"A pigeon or a hawk would have been more efficient. This guy is pretty old-fashioned."

"Shut up Hozuki!"  
" You you`ve emailed me the details all right; at 5 a.m. in the fucking morning. I _too_ sleep you know?"

"Could have fooled me," Suigetsu tittered under his breath chortling with much zeal as, per usual, Tsunade and Sasuke argued the first hour in the morning as a daily routine; and it was always so damn funny.

"I thought that _bats_ only have a period of repose; or Vampires to replenish their energy. You can thank the fancy tinted sunglasses and high SPF sunscreen, Count Dracula."

"Care to be more specific?" Sasuke clucked on his tongue snarling at Tsunade as he ignored Suigetsu`s nonsensical comment, chiding her as his temper flared and it was so early in the morning and he didn't have enough coffee or energy drinks into his system.

"I thought my eyes were deceiving me upon reading that abhorrent content."

"Last time they did," Suigetsu commented still not sparing them any glimpse –finding his new toy more attractive.

"you missed your target by shooting him in the shoulder and not his heart. We needed two fuckin` helicopters to corner him before he escaped on his private jet."

Sasuke used one finger to push his chair backward and made him fall on his back with a thud and a much as he accidentally shot his gun into the wall beside, making the modern painting peeled and sprinkle like snowflakes atop their shoulders and heads.

An awkward lush quietude that followed as Tsunade sighed in pure exasperation, visibly chaffed by all that inutile commotion.

Good thing that the building was bulletproof otherwise Suigetsu would have unwittingly shot someone.

"And whose fault was it for kindly blowing up our cover?" When they posed as drug dealers to catch a top notch dealer in town and usually the trouble maker was Sasuke who was a lil` bit _too_ passionate about his work .  
Suigetsu challenged, murmuring under his breath as Tsunade`s admonishing glare only made his scowl deepen; he hated to be berated for nothing. "Arrogant emo fucker..."

"Back to the main point," Tsunade placed her elbows on the desk in a more authoritarian pose, bloodshot manicured fingers twined before her rouged lips.

"what I want you to do can be easily compelled in one single, simple sentence: _seduce_ the daughter of this man."  
"Define seduce, please." Sasuke interjected sternly, a vein twitching on his temple as he continued his tantrum, visibly exasperated and vexed by the outrageous mission.

Suigetsu found this moment proper to interject and mock the eternally standoffish, unflappable Uchiha who casually strolled into the office, hands in his loose pockets like he owned the place.

"Woo her _Einstein_ , ask her for romantic shit dinners, play a serenade under her veranda, tell her that she has beautiful eyes, make yourself appear less emo freak and more interesting, make compliments, be less gay and fix your style, fuck her brains until she can't walk straight and then make her crave for more... ya` know, stuff that any real male except you does Or better ask Jirayia to teach you some really kinky stuff to get the job done faster-"

"-do _not_ spell that deprived character's name in my vicinity please, because unlike the _other_ closet perverts and notorious deprived alcoholic present," and by that, he meant Tsunade and Suigetsu, both. "I have what real _gentlemen_ call dignity."

Suigetsu glimmered to the already pissed of man, whose temper was shorter than his seducing skills, then snorted now tittering completely amused, looking at the porn book that Jirayia wrote while Tsunade was twitching in pure chagrin and disgust.  
"That was totally unprofessional Hozuki,"

Tsunade snarled at the man, warningly signalizing that she wasn't in for any jokes, especially about such a peculiar tough mission.

"even for likes like you." Then her honey tea orbs shuffled back to the laconic Uchiha brat, feeling stupid for lecturing him like she was his mother –but the brat`s conniption was even more capricious than an unwound hurricane.

"I shall send your ass to our base in the Land of Iron for constantly throwing sarcastic remarks and results in my way."

Which implied sending him to a country entirely shrouded in _snow_ –as Uchiha Sasuke simply loathed anything dealing with coldness, which was ironic considering how frozen his temper was.

"He can't help it," Suigetsu interjected barely smothering his laughter, seeing the expression cemented on his friends' eternally brooding figure, cutting Uchiha short just to push his buttons more.

"it`s his own lame, stale, recycled and totally cliché way to lure women and shockingly enough, it is always successful! I have no freakin` idea how he does it!"

"Give him some credit boy, he is trying." Another deep, amused but strict, control and professional alto voice thundered from the half-opened door as a lissome beautiful man with pearls in his orbs leaned idly against the wall.

"there is a reason why he is the most versatile among us to always take on mission implying brothel chains and prostitution."

"Fuck of Hyuga, you are frustrated because you ain't getting any. Fuckin` idiot." Neji Hyuga joined the clique already hearing their commotion because their department was always on the mouths of every gossip and rumors, especially when _the_ Uchiha Sasuke decided to show his boring messy face into the office.

Another genius agent form cybercrime and Yakuza clan's specialist, Neji Hyuga ranked as a top FBI agent alongside Uchiha Sasuke and Hozuki Suigetsu, but his attitude just had something that pissed people off very badly.

Something reminiscent in his trenchant, superior and haughty approach made everyone scoff and curse him for no apparent reason.

"I am not doing anything with _or_ involving that... woman. She is probably nothing more than a spoiled rich brainless chick pampered by his Godfather daddy who showers her with expensive presents."

Now glancing at the luscious picture –a close up to her profile– the first thing that Uchiha noticed was how amazingly _beautiful_ this woman was.

Unbelievably breathtaking albeit she wasn't the typical jaw dropping beauty, stunning in such a retro aristocratic beauty that only blue blood possessed –of course he wasn't fascinated rather than finding the entire charade even more annoying. "I refuse to get involved with such stereotypical linear characters, even if it is for the sake of a mission."

"Why not?" Suigetsu hastily snatched the picture from the unruffled Uchiha, whistling low on his chest as his impish titter turned into a wholehearted laughter of pure mischievous intent; usually when his amethyst orbs had _that_ particular patina, something very _troublesome_ might soon follow –and it usually involved him getting completely drunk in some random, cheap hotel and robbed by some stinkin` prostitute who stripped him of the headboard and applied make up on his sleeping face.

"Damn- she`s fine as hell! Who cares about her personality when she looks _this_ way? Damn you lucky bastard… I know that _I_ don't,"

His crocked smirk only made Sasuke`s frown deepen as he gnashed his teeth together, flickering his sable orbs back to an equally stern, menacing looking Tsunade –the warning look on her face left no room for protest.

Sasuke, of course would _never_ obey any orders –let alone coming from Tsunade or anyone else for the matter. _Why was he here again_?

"Can I take the mission instead Tsunade pretty pretty _please_? This chick is way out of this prick`s league. I mean c`mon Tsunade- _sama_ ,"

he mocked her by adding the seemingly formal appellative, implying that she had a venerable age which demanded respect; and the golden haired Senju absolutely _loathed_ any mockeries about her age.

"you can't possibly be this sadistic to waste such _yummy_ material on someone who is socially retarded.

Send him to deal with that mission involving illegal trafficking of monkeys and panda bears. Ya` know something suited for someone gloomy and grim like this prick which does not involve _human_ contact."

Sasuke threw him a glance gritting his teeth together as his strong, high defined jaws clenched until he felt his temples explode; Neji simply sunk into one of the armchairs, completely apathetic as a lackluster gaze churned into the depths of his sophistic moony orbs, following the comedy apparently uninterested.

"I was under the impression that all the mindless creature love _your_ shark face Suigetsu and thus this mission will fit your skills perfectly. Those sickening animals would deem you as part of their reign."

"See what am I talking about, Boss?" Suigetsu turned to Tsunade whose forehead was creased by visible, deep crimples –that she tried to conceal under layers of foundation, mentally counting down the seconds when she will snarl and throw a fist –the moment when real comedy will begin. "He ain't no ladies man! I mean, c`mon what normal guy hate _panda_ bears? They are fluffy and totally cute!"

A ticklish, completely embarrassing silence followed next spanning on few seconds before someone actually facepalmed into the background, mentioning the shameful, coarse slang 'fag', of course, in reference Uchiha who vehemently declined a mission involving a _woman_.

* * *

"Of course not. Sharingan is Uchiha`s exclusive field. He lives there, he has been relocated there for years and is the most viable source of Intel we have to control the black market and illicit acts there, Hozuki!"

She outstretched an alarming finger to Hozuki who actually gulped –feeling a lump huddle into the back of his throat– then she shifted her stare to Uchiha Sasuke, carrying on the same stern manner.

"I don't care how you are going to do it brat, but I want you to make this woman head over heels with you so that she can introduce you to her dear father and then conveniently leak information to us, so that we can then throw the Haruno Boss in jail for the rest of his miserable life. And this time I want this damned mission to be _successful_!"

She thundered across the office standing up, hands plastered against the table, some files flung from the table sprinkling all over the carpeted floor. "Is that clear enough for you?"

"I call it a failure from the start." Neji barged into operating, cutting Sasuke short when he was about to clip and give Tsunade the nasty retort she deserved.

"Why aren't are you making Sasuke infiltrate as one of their associates instead?"

"Because there is a reason why their Mobster clan is so hermetic. They chose their associates exclusively from the families and heirs of the initial members of the group. No other stranger is allowed."

"And doesn't this logic applies to the heir`s daughter's spouse as well?" Sasuke rationed hoping, _praying_ with hysteric desperation that Heavens might take mercy on him and deprive him of such imbecile mission –contrary to popular beliefs, he wasn't a complete bastard.

He respected women, no matter their social status, background or occupation thus he didn't want to _play_ them –no matter how grave and pressing the situation was.

The country`s security in this case. Just using women as toys, _pawns_ to achieve a goal didn't seem right with him.

Plus, he didn't like all the unnecessary, exacerbated attention that he got from the opposite sex, thus he would rather avoid any tie-in with any woman. But his peers` mockeries about his lack of sexual desires always went _too_ far…

"Apparently not, because for some reason they don't want their daughter to marry someone from their organization, probably so that they won't abuse that power and try to overthrow their leader. You see, they won't allow a woman to take over so they naturally need a new leader when Kizashi Haruno passes out."

Sasuke fetched a surprised eyebrow up actually snorting unceremoniously at that absurd logic –or it seemed nonsensical to _him_.

"And you want ME to become the next Haruno Mob Leader? Are you out of your mind Tsunade or has sake drown your neurons completely? Or… are you _still_ under the influence of alcohol?"

"No you nitwit!", she snapped now rising abruptly and letting the worst of her temper kindle and blaze like an unleashed volcano spilling melting lava in Sasuke`s still impassive figure –his lack of response and reaction whatsoever vexed her beyond belief.

"I don't want you to fucking become a Mob leader, I want you to _pretend_ to aspire to become one until we have enough proofs to send them to jail or enough opportunities to kill them! C`mon Sasuke don't play dumb, it`s not a freaking game of cat and mouse, this is serious!"

"I can try a good shot from the distance when this man gets off his car or sips from his coffee instead and get this shit over with."  
This time, Tsunade throw a curveball and instead of ranting and berating him again, she smirked in a knowing way, wiggling her fine eyebrows together –all orbs now looking back from Sakura`s file to her.

"You see now… it`s not like _that_ hasn't cross our minds before, you smartass but this is the problem. This man never shows his face in public and if we wouldn't have had solid proofs of his existence, we would have thought that Kizashi Haruno is not even real."  
"And how would you know that? My target is the best in the entire FBI."

While Neji and Suigetsu both rolled his orbs at Uchiha`s 'false' modesty knowing that his target wasn't _that_ accurate –not that his skills weren't superior or formidable, Tsunade`s elfin smirk, challenging and triumphant had Sasuke nearly _react._

She would have literarily laugh hysterically at his dumbfounded figure –actually seeing it in the depths of his unfathomable, obsidian orbs how an exasperated emotion welled inside. "because he is already in the Sharingan."

"What?" Upon hearing the news, Sasuke`s lush, velvety voice went slightly higher in tonality signalizing that something ticked him off, but other than that he didn't make any more expressive gestures.

He looked rather bored as absolutely no one could read the Delphic expression that now creased his handsome face.

But Suigetsu and Neji tittered nonetheless already knowing that their friend would rather pummel something very badly by now; how could someone sneak into _his_ territory without him noticing firstly? That was a heavy low blow for Uchiha`s swelled ego.

"His daughter, on the other hand, is due to arrive today God only knows when. My assumption is that he already has men infiltrated into the Sharingan to scout for information about anyone and target potential threats."

"Threats like me," he instantaneously concluded now realizing just how terrible the situation was –with all the unfortunate implications about a top notch dog infiltrating such a corrupt, clustered society like the Sharingan and perturb the rules and hierarchies.

"Sounds like a lot of shit." Suigetsu concluding already knowing that the mission was far riskier and intricate than he originally thought; in fact he only found out about it in the morning when he strolled lazily on the halls, heading to Tsunade`s office room and respond to the morning call.

"Wouldn't he need a backup though?" it was so eerie and bloodcurdling to see a _serious_ expression etched on Suigetsu`s goofy, elfin figure.

"Have I ever needed _help_ moron?" What a pathetic word in Uchiha's dictionary. When did he need the other`s _assistance_?

Not even when he was bleeding to death into his vest has he asked for any help. He kept on shooting and killing his opponents until reinforcements came refusing to come out as a victim –or anything else than victorious.

That was Uchiha Sasuke, one of the best, most distinctive FBI agents; an impenetrable lone _shadow_ safeguarding the Land of Fire from the shadows instead of being vocal and opulent.

"This is why I called the two of you here. I want you Hozuki and Hyuga to infiltrate into the Sharingan and try to find out who is Kizashi`s spies."

Meaning to keep a low profile and stay incognito, including stealing and communicating sensitive information about their targets. "Be careful though, it is crucial not to discover otherwise the next time we meet it will be at your funerals."

She was simply too blunt choosing her words carefully, but they were used to put their life in line everytime and Tsunade wanted to make double sure that they understood how crucial and dangerous their mission was.

"It is vital that no one discovers you are FBI agents. Especially you Sasuke."  
Said Uchiha simply tilt his head on the side and hurtled a stare to the woman like she was completely lunatic; like _duh_ … she didn't need to remind him of that.

"Which part of me screams FBI agent besides the badge that is always with me?" Letting her amber orbs map him closely, steadily in exaggeratedly slow manner, she crossed her hands upon her voluptuous bust and smirked at him knowingly, amused by his 'cover' that became a daily routine.

"Which by the way is completely unnecessary and will only cause me a lot of trouble if someone barges into my place and finds it."

Albeit no one who knew him would even dare to attempt something like that, especially those who were 'recidivists' and made the mistake of provoking and attacking him; wanting to 'teach' the pretty boy a lesson.

"But you can never know especially with a new ordeal coming so better be cautious and intuitive.  
"Your entire aura screams that you are no ordinary man." She laughed at him actually finding it amusing how life worked; while others were hysteric in attracting attention, Sasuke naturally turned heads and made people take a double –gasping and drooling– looks, receiving overflowing attention when he never asked for.

"but at least you are trying. Damn when was the last time you have changed those clothes anyway? Or took a decent bath..."  
"Who said that I have ever?"  
"Ew, gross." Suigetsu faked that he was disgusted, giving him a thumb down, when they knew that Sasuke was living in a place that one could barely call a decent _home_ and albeit he liked the simplicity and silence, he was making efforts to blend in. he was their best agent because of the willingness to go this far and sacrifice himself, put his life on a line for their cause –just like how his proud father once did. "At least please do tell us that you are still showering like... at least once a week?"

Sasuke threw him a glare that compelled everything. Suigetsu threw his head backwards, not interested to study the file intently like Neji did and burst out chortling and chocking on his giggles like a madman; he was having _so_ much fun.

"And if I say that I do _not_ bathe myself regularly, then will you stop chasing behind my back all the times?"

He smirked at how Suigetsu`s face fell like he was not culpable of being his best buddy. He and Neji Hyuga were partners and regrettably enough, best friends –counting Uzumaki out because that idiot was receiving attention just for the heck of the cover.

Albeit he was helplessly sincere and always trying –and sometimes succeeding– in getting under his skin for a story similar and tragic like his own.

Someone who best understood Sasuke's darkness and the pain was Naruto and sadly _not_ his normal FBI friends. And Tsunade who acted more like a benefactor and a protector, rather than his Boss.

Maybe it was due to guilt and sympathy because she was his mother`s best friend since high school. "Well nope but I will never hang out with ya` when I want to get some hot girls." Holding Sakura`s photo up shoving it in Sasuke`s face, he put on his most deprived face that Sasuke ever saw on him.

"Like this one babe. Damn, she is definitely my type." he exhaled longingly as Sasuke rolled his orbs in exasperation. _Oh boy…_

Tsunade snatched the photo from a gasping Suigetsu whose orbs were brimming with virtual _hearts_ ogling Sakura and tossed it to Sasuke who caught it in the air like a shuriken weapon from ancient times, effortlessly, naturally.

"Well, you can forget about her Hozuki because This Haruno Sakura is Sasuke`s girl!" Neji cackled while Sasuke made a constipated scowl looking absolutely disgusted at the picture.

Something about her eyes... he didn't like it in the bit _the_ look in those incredibly tinted orbs, in the shade of luscious jade gemstones.

Intuition told him to stay the hell away from that girl because she was trouble –not because she was a Mafia Leader`s daughter but because she... he could not even explain it which was dumb because Sasuke had a propensity for control –be it his feelings or any situation, hating surprises.

Suigetsu pouted comically as he silently envied his best friend for being given the chance to approach that babe –yes he was an original pervert and he was damn _proud_ of it.

"At least… can I have a printed copy of that photo to hang out in my room?" he grinned mischievously, pleading with Tsunade while she gave him a warning look promising mal intent.

By the time he was imploring like a small children desiring candies, _Jirayia_ chose that moment proper to made his glorious appearance without knowing, jumping on the window with his sandals, still dressed like a Taoist Sage with his funny tattoos and eccentric hairstyle, smirking at Tsunade who nearly gasped in shock looking at that photo.

he whistled low on his chest when his special 'sensor' for beautiful, fine ladies made his light orbs fell on the photo perched atop Tsunade`s desk, along with Sakura`s file. "Well damn Tsunade… you always provide useful material for my beloved _research_."

He hastily joined Suigetsu leaping form the window to the floor beside Suigetsu, curling his hand around Sasuke`s shoulder in a fatherly manner –Uchiha resisted the urge to cringe and did not really shove him away out of respect– and both tittered in such a mischievous, approving manner. "By all the Heavens above- who is this glorious beauty?"

* * *

"Jirayia," Tsunade barked low rasping at him. "Kindly get the hell away of my office because I am in the middle of a very important briefing with my agents and you interrupt, you idiot!"

She then marched to him unfailingly seething from all the pores –she really didn't need _this_ blockhead so early in the morning parading in her office and knocked him on the head while briskly snatching the photo from his hand.

Photograph that Jirayia snatched form Sasuke who looked like ready to strangle them both but quelled his impetus in the last moment possible, nonetheless, a large vein bulked along the corn of his sculpted neck and was now throbbing as his blood frothed and simmered in his vessels –oh, the imperious need to _whack_ someone became imperative.

Neji was still so apathetic sinking into one of the armchairs, arm crisscrossed as he followed the spectacle. Yup… nothing new there.

Those were their 'normal' meetings because they weren't _just_ regular, average agents. And geniuses always possessed a morsel of insanity or were deviant or eccentric.

"Why so tense so early in the morning my dear?" Jirayia now strolled to an outraged Tsunade who looked like ready to shove her nails down his throat and strangle him.

"You are frustrated because of all those accumulated stress straining your pretty muscles and all the raging hormones because you are still a single woman in her fifties who lives with an equally old Persian Cat–"

 _Smack!_  
She was now bristling and seething through all her pores as she punched him in the face. "–my private life is of no concern to you asshole!" Then she laughed just as randomly, pulling herself together and then pivoted on her heel, pointing to Sasuke.

"Enough with this clamor at such an unholy hour in the morning! And where the heck is my _dark coffee_?! Shizune!"

Tsunade shrieked while her secretary twiddled and wobbled inside visibly working the entire night, a throng of disheveled files clutched to her chest, her hair ravaged by sleeping onto her office desk and her olive orbs rimmed by stains of mascara, sputtering.

"H-Hai... Tsunade-sama! I will bring your coffee right... after I- oh!" Her orbs landed on the throng of agents huddled in her office not believing her olive orbs that they actually did gather there _voluntarily_ without too much complaining; she smiled softly, heartedly in return curtsying once as greeting them politely, while Neji courtly helped the woman carry the files and rudely tossed them on Tsunade's office nearly covering her face; she bristled at his gesture, gritting her teeth together, dabbing her fingertips against the edge of her desk; annoyed.

"You guys are all here so early in the morning," she giggled her mood visibly soothed. "that`s quite rare."

Because those top-notch agents were always lazy, disimpassioned, disinterested, austere, lone as wolves and never dragging their asses into the Head`s office on time; never!

Especially Sasuke Uchiha, who fancied being the lonely renegade of the pack instead of showing his pretty face to the office.

He was pretty much of a mystery to everyone else, except for his incessant claim that he didn't like anything, that had _no_ hobbies whatsoever, only preferred to sleep, train and play the beggar undercover in a dangerous neighborhood, the realm of all the druggies, whores, and illicit acts.

Sasuke spat in such a trenchant, bored and vexed manner albeit the woman has been nothing but sweet –maybe too comfortable and leisure with _him_ but still polite.

"You are the one who is always summoning us so early in the morning."

"Point taken for the emo retard." Suigetsu chimed as a nightingale while Sasuke glared at him in such a vicious, demonic way, silently daring him to say another more insult to him.

"I don't care! This is why you get paid so stop complaining Uchiha and do your damn job! I want result and fast! We don't have time to wander around and let those bastards take full control over the underground world and stain our beautiful city and get his wicked spider webs all around the country!"

"Why can`t I try and become his right hand made or a trustworthy associate instead?" God no- he so did NOT want to seduce his daughter, that was _so_ pathetic.

"In fact... why is it always ME the one to work undercover whenever the mission requires coquetting a woman?" Disgust and abhorrence now welled into his system in pure repugnancy.

"Because they are attracted to your looks naturally without you having to move a single damn finger. See? It is quite that simple."

"I am not a manwhore if _that`s_ what you suggest." In fact, just the mere thought of sleeping with women that he did NOT want to sleep with was revolting.

"Why don't you try your luck with someone who fits into this category... someone more like a slutty philanderer, the perfect _Don Juan_..."

he trailed knowingly, discreetly shuffling his orbs to Jirayia and Suigetsu who were drooling at Sakura`s picture.

"stop behaving like hormonal pubescent teens you blockheads, it`s perturbing." Neji kept quiet albeit he wouldn't openly admit that he too stared at Sakura`s glossy, exuberant photo maybe _more_ than necessarily.

Suigetsu gave him the finger whispering something to Jirayia who was writing something on his agenda –probably inspiration for his disgusting dirty books.

Sasuke shook his head in pure disbelief. _Those people were..._. "I am sorry but this has already been decided by my superiors." which was a lie because Tsunade was never listening to Koharu and Hamura`s orders.

"In fact, I didn't call you today just to hear your damn complaining about everything like you always do, but to make sure that you have weapons and Intel on those people."

He did, he always carried necessary weapons with him. Sasuke always did his research beforehand albeit he might give off the vibe that he slacked or was simply too lazy to study the files beforehand, he was updated with every single detail studying his victims like a feral lion, calculating, plotting, strategizing and trying to penetrate their _minds_ before delivering the final blow.

"Hn." His laconic response to everything meant that he had everything under control.

"Perfect!" Tsunade beamed with pride, commending him as she grinned, speaking his laconic language perfectly.

Albeit she felt sorry for having to make her best agent –and she grew fond of her team caring those young officers like her own kids– do something so dangerous and deprived knowing that it went under the high standards of an august Uchiha, but she had no choice. Sasuke was the perfect man for the job. Approaching him with a small rectangular dark patch, she smirked softy.

"Here." She handed the small object to him as Sasuke raised his palm to receive her gift. "You will need this for your mission."

"What`s this?" Onyx orbs crisscrossed when he brought his palm to his orbs. "Are you trying to drug me to accept the mission voluntarily and be more enthusiastic? I am immune to drugs; _all_ kinds of drugs."

And he was considering how many times he blended in with druggies, he developed a certain amount of tolerance. "You should have known by now."

"That you are already a crack addict?" Suigetsu smirked nudging Jirayia who joined him into ogling Sakura`s picture; Neji shook his head visibly ashamed by their juvenile tenue. "It completes the boho image of a serial killer from the hood."

They all laughed with zeal at his remark, with the exception of Tsunade and Sasuke himself who had a small staring contest.

"You do not deserve an answer..." Sasuke clucked on his tongue, growing even more chafed, a rage frothed inside him and a disgust seeped on his tongue; he _loathed_ missions revolving around the concept of luring ad seducing ladies; not only it was a degrading concept for a man, but the mere idea of being in the close proximity with a stranger who salivated for his looks left him with a clinical phobia.

It was not like he was completely asexual or had a problem with women, but he was also not a regular philanderer, like Jirayia, Kakashi, Ebisu or Suigetsu.

He would rather find himself a decent woman to be with and not land into some imbroglio romantic with his pawn to the Boss leader, the nefarious Haruno. That woman looked like a lot of _trouble_.

What a drag, like Shikamaru, would put it.

"that`s our new type of invisible microphones. In fact, it is more like a Nano chip with a mic incorporated so you can always stay connected to us and leak information or ask for backup when necessary. It is adherent. You can stick it anywhere you please and no one will find it. It is also cannot be detected with devices or jammed." She stated proudly, inwardly praising the research team who developed such an advanced, high-tech device.

* * *

"So I can simply latch it to something that it is in my close possession or even my skin?"

"Technically yes, but I would suggest that you do not stick it on body parts since you are required to _seduce_ Haruno Sakura."

Everyone knew that she implied sexing her and that was the reason why they couldn't smother their laughs anymore seeing _that_ expression churning on his face.

"But I would rather suggest it stick it on your boxers."

"Why there?" he rose an eyebrow up at her piece of advice.

"Because they are the last to come off while sleeping with someone." Jirayia completed for her while Tsunade simply shook her head –thankful for his intervention because it was quite awkward to have _this_ conversation with those boys that could be _her_ sons.

"I take it that you enjoyed the last two chapters of my latest Icha Icha Novel Tsunade–"

She immediately rasped, coughing once as a subtle blush powdered her high cheeks trying to hide it that he caught her with her hands in the cookie jar.

"–that`s not from any of your outrageous stupid books Jirayia! I would never read something like that in my whole life!" Then her gaze travelled back to Sasuke. "And stop putting those things into my subordinates` minds, it`s so shameful!"

Neji and Suigetsu snickered at Sasuke's facial expression knowing -it was just so obvious—that he was seething on the inside, so badly that smoke actually puffed from his nostrils. "Enough of this nonsense."

Sasuke rasped hard and low and this time, they stopped when he gave them THAT type of intense glance; one that was so calescent that it liquefied even fire itself turning it into lava –he had such a dark side in him albeit Sasuke was naturally obsequious and calm. "My morning mood has already been ruined."

"What morning _mood_?" Neji challenged now with a newfound determination to kept being entertained by those lunatic comrades and friends of his.

"Your conniption is always petulant if not entirely standoffish or bipolar. One can barely notice the difference."

"Are you working on your sarcasm since your last failure Hyuga?" Meaning espionage missions which weren't exactly Hyuga`s specialty.

That shut him off instantly as the man frowned, not enjoying his silent implication. Was Uchiha mocking him again?

The rivalry between them was no joke as their pride never wavered, especially when being in competition, thus his mood turned glum as he turned to Tsunade clipping.

"And kindly remove Uzumaki _Naruto_ from my vicinity... or the Sharingan. I can hardly stand his presence anymore."

Tsunade quirked an eyebrow up while studying files that Shizune discarded on her table forcing her to sign; a bottle of sake was already dangling from her digits. "Hm?" She assessed with half of her attention to him.

"Uzumaki Naruto you say? Is he that homeless kid of the same age who pretends to be your best friend?"

Suigetsu and the others laughed; Shizune barely stifled a laughter out of courtesy, because it was common knowledge that Naruto was quite a character with peculiar traits and always chasing after Sasuke.

The funniest part was Uchiha`s veins popping on his temples his pure annoyance. "yeah, _that_ number one loser. Is he another agent undercover and you guys keep it from me for... occult reasons?"

"No, he is not. He is the orphan of Minato Namikaze, former Head of a tobacco company and Uzumaki Kushina, a former ambassador." S

he said aimlessly; of course, they studied the files of every single Sharingan inhabitant en detail. Sasuke's presence there was valuable, inestimable.

"very wealthy family indeed, but when they died in that tragedy -plane crash- the sharks and the lawyers have stripped the heir from all his money." Naruto has been a toddler at that time, with no other living relatives.

Sasuke slipped his hands into his pockets after letting his left hand rack through his lush hair, sprinkling on his nape.

"That was not a tragedy; it was all meticulously planned to eliminate them." it wasn't like he actually despised Uzumaki, but he hated how reminiscent to him he was, and how easy was it for Uzumaki to read his heart.

He would rather not get tangled with people from the Sharingan. It would get dangerous for his cover –feelings and bonds were part of a game that Sasuke wouldn't want to play.

"I would even deem it as a well-orchestrated crime probably the head of one of the many enemies they had."

"How`d you know that?" Neji fetched an eyebrow up. Sasuke simply shrugged indifferently, flippantly responding like it didn't affect him in any way like everything transpiring around him fell into vacuum brushing past him without leaving any mark.

"Simply because I _do_ my homework, unlike the _others_..." he subtly pointed to Neji who always missed trivia from his file and Hozuki and Jirayia who never studied beforehand due to laziness; it was simply a miracle how they were top notch agents, elites among elites only relying on skill, intuition, and intellect.

"The idiot thinks that we have a stupid _bond_ of sorts because we are both orphans," racking a hand through his hair, his austere voice turned even more distance, lone and phlegmatic, glancing to his chest, sighing in exasperation.

"he keeps on babbling about loneliness and how people are consume by it, by darkness and how he wants to save everyone from that hell and bring _light_ into the Sharingan... or something as juvenile and irrelevant at that... I don't even listen to what he babbles, that hyperactive moron..."

In fact, he did. Whistling low on his chest liking the resonance of the orphan`s backstory, Jirayia mocked him with a tinge of sympathy in his flamboyant tone. "A _hero_ emerging from the slums of Sharingan, huh?"

He tapped his hipbone over the table obstructing Tsunade's view; a vein popped on her temple.

* * *

"Nice change in the boring scenery. He is right in an aspect though. You my boy," he pointed to the already frowning Uchiha whose patience visibly run _extremely_ low.

"are one lonely wolf. Admit it that his jabbing grew on you and you _do_ think about what he says, otherwise I now that you would have told him off adamantly and he would never approach you again." Like he always did keeping people off, terrified of him.

Sasuke clucked on his tongue, then smirked humorlessly, bitterly at these idiots who knew him best. "Heh... You have no idea how persistent he is."

"Good," Neji nodded appreciatively, smirking lightly. "maybe we shall hire him as part of the FBI."

A look that looked like Sasuke was _reacting_ in a negative manner creased his beautiful face. "Don`t even joke about that. I have enough of that idiot popping up into my house uninvited."

"Well, you can barely call _that_ rat hole a house..." Suigetsu smirked under his breath; noticing that Sasuke didn't refer to his place as _home_ , all knowing that he had a huge mansion at the outskirts of the town, the old Uchiha household that he did not bring himself to list it on the auction market; those were memories encased in the back of his mind, his only connection to his parents.

he could not reside there and be haunted by them, but couldn't let the past behind either. he was trapped somewhere in between the veil with no means to get back to the _light_ –or motivation whatsoever.

And somehow, that turd obnoxious orphan Uzumaki Naruto was capable to sense that darkness, that suffering, those scars into Sasuke and curiously enough he genuinely wanted to _heal_ them and save them; albeit Sasuke was a stranger to him.

"It`s still better than living in _dorms_ mopping about your college days or your lame fail attempts to get a decent girlfriend." Man those years were the best!

"Touché," Neji mumbled affirmatively raising his hands in the air because _that_ sadly was something that he couldn't argue against, while Suigetsu frowned not liking the low blow in his manly ego; he was a nerd in his college days sticking to Sasuke and Neji Hyuga, his best friends having a hard time fitting in and finding his personality.

Now he lived with Shikamaru who found it too bothersome to keep a house clean all by himself and he didn't want to find himself a good woman, settle down and get married because women were such a _drag_.

Then Sasuke pondered over something now snatching Sakura`s luscious pic from Suigetsu's hands and, paddling towards Tsunade's office desk rudely leaning against it with his profile on her, he rubbed his strong chin like some brilliant idea just popped in his head.

"To be entirely honest," he started his thumb pressed against his lower lip, gliding slowly as his eyebrows drew together in a semi-frown of concentration. " _this_ type of spoiled brats will never look to someone like _me_."

Silence swathed the entire office room with all an expression _are you fucking serious?_ "Explain 'someone like me' please."

Tsunade fetched an eyebrow up finding that all not too amusing because Sasuke was no being in his mocking sarcastic way; he was now pondering, ruminating being entirely serious, unfailingly thinking about his mission.

* * *

"It`s so obvious that I don't even have to, honestly," a smooth hand rung through his disarray locks of hair, softness pilling along his temples albeit he hardly combed his hair at all; that natural beauty, marketing and dark, was an amazing Uchiha trait.

It was a miracle that no one did the association between Sasuke and his once noble lineage. Probably because after the Uchiha went extinct with all the conspiring looming above them, they faded into obscurity and people hardly remembered that family at all.

Exhaling through his nostrils, his voice flippantly echoed around the room, with no emotion only a disimpassioned attitude.

"The sole daughter of a filthy rich Mafia Leader, so fearsome and respected in the underground will never tangle with a local gangster living in the suburbs... or _slums_."

He emphasized not to disrespect the people for being poor, but to highlight the contrast between their _worlds_ and how they would never ever collide in real life.

"This..." glancing at her name, Tsunade frowned at how he didn't remember her name –or he was ignoring it purposely afraid that he might become a little more too enthusiastic about it. "Haruno _Sakura_ is probably dating shitty celebrities or other Mafia heirs or... guys from her _sophisticated_ entourage; definitely something that I am _not._ "

Not actually comprehending Tsunade`s sophistic, crooked light smile tucking on her rouged lips, Shizune frowned in confusion, inwardly sympathetic and feeling remorseful –for no reason at the way Sasuke's manner of speaking volte-face to something more cultivated, refined like he practiced for a role in a movie, made her smirk, amused at how he was already tiring to _meet_ Sakura Haruno`s standards. "Is that what you genuinely think or what you desperately _wish_ for?"

Sasuke will not lie to Tsunade nor deceive her, she was a proof intuition in reading people was her specialty. Sakura was a challenge even to someone as bored and standoffish man like Sasuke who, except for his job, had no motivation in life, no passion for practicing his hobbies, no interest in anything else than being an elite FBI agent -like his deceased father Fugaku Uchiha.

"Her nickname is _Queen_ Sakura." Uchiha flippantly stated like it would explain the way his teeth gnashed together in revolt, parched lips burning to be quenched by strong liquid, albeit Sasuke was not an alcoholic.

The way that unofficial title just unfurled form his thin lips, hissing like a cobra through his teeth with so much acerbity and acid, felt like spraying lethal venom.

* * *

"She can be _my_ Queen whenever she wants," amethyst orb dancing in lust and amusement leered at the photo that he snatched back from the disimpassioned Uchiha prick, while Jirayia leaned backwards to peep at the iconic woman with delicious voluptuous curves and the most captivating smile, both tittering mischievously million deprived sexual fantasies now huddling into the front of their perverted minds.

"I wouldn't mind being her _servant_... heck we can even _role-play_ while she handcuffs me and whips me for... _disobedience_..."

The rest of Hozuki`s moronic lecherous fantasies remained muffled by how he leaned towards an equally drooling Jirayia and whispered into his ear, the bombastic male already scribbling frenetically tittering while working on the steamiest scene of his adult novel.

"You guys are pathetic and horrendous..." Sasuke clipped, disgust smearing all across his handsome visage scowling deeply by the resentful image of two adults salivating at the picture of a woman, like two adolescents in the cusp of puberty; two nerdy _virgin_ teens. "I can't with you guys… fucking perverted morons… do you really call yourselves _agentsi?_ "

"Bwhaha—says the prick who rejects a mission involving seducing a hot babe!"

Jirayia also picked that insidious implication, that bloody pervert because this time his wiggling eyebrows toward her had no association with her voluptuous bust.

Barely anything except his job -and that was already debatable- piqued Uchiha`s _interest_. His sigh brought them back into the room.

"Find someone else to handle this Tsunade." He hurled the picture aimlessly against her desk. All the room convinced that he took the bait- the _mission_ gasped lightly at him. "I`m not the man you need for this job. Not _this_ time."

"You... admit that you have a chance to _screw it up_?" Shizune asked incredulously. That man's ego was on par with his skills but this time something _else_ that they couldn't decrypt made Sasuke backpedal from a _challenge_.

Something that made everyone feel unsettled and nervous, wondering why was he being so vehement about _not_ accepting a mission –not that he actually could consensually agree or not because a mission was a mission.

But he was being more laid-back than usually and it didn't take a genius to realize that something else made him so hesitant.

Kami only knew that his intuition was off the charts and sometimes it saved his life.

Suigetsu broke the lavish quietude when he started to titter again like a crazy clown, rubbing his palms together.

" _You_... the most egocentric egomaniac in the entire FBI admit that this is _beyond_ your capabilities?"

He then burst out laughing like a goose, with his long, model legs crisscrossed on Tsunade`s luxurious, custom-made office desk –the warning glare he took felt like a bullet to his head- and arms propelled on the armrest. "hahaha this is rich! I hope that the CCTV in this office is recording this shit for blackmail!"

Neji slapped Suigetsu's nape as his head flying onwards, hissing in his ear –this man simply didn't know when to stop.

"Stop making fun of it, you nitwit." He warned subtly pointing to Sasuke`s suddenly lost, distant cold glare –he fixed an aimless spot on the wall and stared at it like wanting to burn a hole right through it.

"This is not funny." Noticing Uchiha`s demeanor, Neji tried to decipher, the best he could considering that, albeit he knew Sasuke from a long time, he was pretty much an enigma to everyone.

His entire demeanor was now locked, impenetrable, an unconquerable fortress with the key tossed into the bottom of the ocean; no one could read him, reach his heart, and know what he was thinking about.

"We are not going back to the base Uchiha," They all turned serious as how Tsunade called his family name; she only did that when she meant business and no more puns and mirthful mood.

Sasuke had his orbs still shut, looking entirely disinterested. He has been through this so many times before; she will nag him, annoy him, giving him headaches, an aspirin and then he will be well lectured but free to go and do his job.

Sometimes, he felt more relaxed in the slums than in the office –since when has his thrilling job became something so redundant?

Or his _nearly_ abandoned office which he rarely visited for a reason unknown.

"you will take the mission, you are the _best_ man for the job and you know it brat; you are our _best_ agent and the closest to Sharingan. You are basically _living_ there and now how it _runs_ ,"

She did the quotation marks curling her fingers, tiring to use a typical vernacular but failing at it miserably.

"there is practically no one more suited than you!" her voice now thundered across the room unfailingly as she left no room for interpretation.

"Anyone who will now come into such a hermetic society where everyone knows _everyone_ will look suspicious, boy,"

Jirayia being still his usual playful and flirtatious way, wisely reminded as all the orbs skimmed from Tsunade to him.

"especially since it will overlap to a new Boss in town`s ultra-secret arrival. The only suspicion will cast upon the newcomer." he highlighted as half of the office openly agreed to him; Sasuke did too but something made him hold back, his intuition maybe or the jarring sensation that _this_ particular woman, definitely _not_ the first he had to seduce and get familiar with, bore the mark of something that made him... _twiddling_ on the inside, a sensation that he rejected impetuously.

"This is why it is so important to make this look as natural as possible and not something _planned_ thoroughly with meticulously. And you are the only agent we have infiltrated into the Sharingan after the... _loss_..."

He trailed as the silence meeting the unspoken words were self-explanatory; all the others with the exception of Uchiha and Tsunade gulping as he rubbed his nape with an sheepish goofy smile on his lips, cursing under his breath.

This time, Sasuke too glanced at Tsunade from the corner of his obsidian mirrors, whose shoulders suddenly sagged like she actually had no more energy to argue back –and she didn't considering the amount of work that had to be done.

Clutching the crystal pendant dangling from her neck into the folds of her cleavage, she took a generous gulp of sake, her expression turning grim and petulant.

* * *

"Idiot..." Neji whispered under his breath, because talking about _Dan Kato_ one of the former elite FBI agents, an expert in infiltration and espionage has been assassinated unexpectedly by a gang of cocaine dealers in the Sharingan, even before Sasuke joined the FBI, was _taboo_.

Shizune`s soft commiserating look worriedly flickered towards the agents begging with her orbs for someone to cut that straining quietude now suffocating lingering into the room.

Not shockingly, Sasuke didn't even blink completely stoic and rather nonchalant -Tsunade lost her beloved fiancé and she never actually moved over, but he lost his entire _family_ so it was not affecting him in the bit, becoming cold and completely immune and impassive to the entire weeping and mourning.

"Anyway," A sigh of relief has been freed from someone's lungs, probably Shizune`s who always withstood Tsunade's capricious tempestuous outbursts, but the blonde still had her stance wilted and her orbs draped by her bags, chin facing do right.

"most of this mission implies _me_ seducing _this_ woman who has an exclusive circle, most likely being under the stern surveillance of her dear _Daddy_ ,"

Sasuke`s words were brimming with sarcasm, him being not in the bit fazed reading the portfolio of that Boss and his notorious reputation in merciless crimes and his incredible story that almost made him a legend no a pedestal worshipped by many other Bosses around the world.

"tsk..." he clucked on his tongue in exasperation as a newfound sort of determination made something spark in the depths of his eyes –and that made everyone curious about his ulterior motives because Sasuke always did have ones.

"not only I do _not_ look like something remotely worthy to capture her attention, but this pain in the ass to actually _coquette_ this woman in a way that only desperate hormonal adolescents drool over the most desired chick,"

They actually understood Uchihas overview and Sasuke made a valid point there. "she is the popular hot cheerleader in school and I am the _nerd_ of the pack, at the bottom of the trophic chain."

Summing it up, Sasuke emphasized that the clash between their worlds was so abyssal, so gargantuan that any contact between them could only result in either perfectly fiasco, a cliché ending up with him being erected and embarrassed -hence staining his reputation in the Sharingan- or falling as a dangerous suspect in the eyes of the Boss, already having suspicion lingering above him, resulting in him making his life in Sharingan even more strenuous.

To approach such a girl, a woman showed and soaked in opulence and breathing luxury, a girl from such a prodigious family -on the surface of course- only meddling with crème de la crème, Sasuke needed to... reverse to his _real_ self.

That _Uchiha_ Sasuke, the last survivor of the one royal Uchiha Clan, the ridiculously rich bachelor who discreetly and smartly fell into the system disappearing from the eyes of media and public, with a prestigious career that he could not disclose, the ritzy millionaire with deluxe taste, polished clothes and accessories, dotted with the latest _toys_ , yachts, helicopters, million dollar properties, fast cars and expensive watches and, of course, making the best of his ridiculously gorgeous looks.

Which meant a total _pain in the ass_ for him because Sasuke Uchiha was simply _not_ the regular rich boy. Not only he had to become a metrosexual like those ritzy, loaded idiots taking care of his image -namely making himself a name, a brand, a reputation, drive the newest fastest cars, swathe his sculpted body in the latest trends- minding his manners and screaming it to the world that he was _hot_ and _available_ to propel him straight into the beau monde, the high society and approach this chick as an  equal and not an antagonist, a reject delinquent coming from the neighborhood.

Oh God... just the mere idea of that gave Uchiha headaches; he _so_ enjoyed his simple life, only focusing on being top notch at his job.

He would revert to such an abominable shallow existence _just_ to flirt and lure a lady, no way! He wouldn't do it for the mission either.

Jirayia made a valid point about infiltrating into the Sharingan, but they had _time_ , all the time in the world to plan this meticulously, concoct strategies, bring Neji into the plan maybe with the help of former Bosses who accepted to cooperate with the FBI for a reduced sentence with a fabricated background, since he also belonged to another noble family of a tradition; the Hyuga family.

And Haruno Hiashi would have nothing against such people. In the other public eye, the man was a _saint,_ a philanthropist supporting multiple charity organizations, owner of a chain of successful corporations, he even had roots -very _deep_ occult roots- in politics, albeit he never run for any election for obvious reasons -he was the puppet master and never enjoyed getting his face into public eye, for safety measures.

Such a witty man, someone with such a deep vision, being always so intelligent, so ahead of his game; a genius, a strategist, his skills unparalleled, his work always flawless, is demeanor crude, cruel, unswerving, valiant and adamant, never failing, never doing _favors_ , always demanding and always getting.

* * *

Mafia was all about maintaining a clean _appearance,_ albeit his hands, the garbed in fine **white gloves** were stained and soaked in blood, smeared by corruption and reeking of illicit acts underneath the veneer of expensive perfume, tea, exuberance, an easy-going attitude with smooth sugary coated words, explicitly flamboyant jokes that made Sasuke`s innards churn and sick in discontent.

And the Haruno were also elites, royals by blood, a big clan always jubilating in their fake flamboyance, always carefree and kind to people, participating to high social events even if it was mostly through his daughter and annoyingly witch wife Mebuki Haruno and his hordes of numerous relatives.

That was their polished veneering; what lied on the facade, draping who they _really_ were. Savage Mafia leader, a top notch controlling and domineering Mafia Family in the world.

And now they demanded the _Sharingan_. The perfect hood to become a satellite to their illicit activities. however, controlling the Sharingan automatically implied having _power_ over the entire nation and Sasuke knew that.

Not stating it because Sasuke was growing any sympathy and affection towards his new residence, but because it was common logic that, in order to maintain a balance of things –even going as far as to mingle and sometimes support and cooperate with the black market and the criminals or cartels, _no one_ was to control the Sharingan –it should remain open and neutral.

The Sharingan was a dream yet a nightmare at the same time, twined in that hazardous duality, a chance to all the rejects, a circus stage of crushed dreams, glimpse of a failed _past_ , of broken bonds, distorted mirrors always showing the decadence of the soul, a broken mast, weeping orbs stained by leaking makeup, the painting of a demon with laughing faces, the Sharingan had a _soul of itself_ , it had its own rhythm, its own rules.

And now Haruno would perturb those cyclic rhythms and turn it into one of his multiple marionettes.

Something panged into Sasuke's chest not because that man would dangerously expand his influence in the nation, but because the image of the _residents_ of the Sharingan emerged from the back of his mind to the front of his mind.

No, contrary to popular belief, the always laconic Uchiha Sasuke, the dangerous handsome lone wolf with questionable business in the town, the one that no one wanted to mess with actually _cared_ for his neighbors; as decadent and fallen as they were, he did care for their fate terribly.

Maybe more than he thought, considering that they all had a story so reminiscent of his own, the tragedies the pain the memory of a broken heart woven like a pair of holding hands, intertwining fingers always crushing, always everyone turning their head on the opposite direction so as they won't have to face it with their own orbs, how their own souls looked like now.

Always, they were an open mirror for one another to see what life has reduced them to, and how their dreams always passed them by one by one, how all the last trains have long departed perishing into the sunrise that swallowed the hallucinate decrepit blocks with peeling painting and smeared by gravity; a glimpse into their own art, the manifestation of their unheard voices.

The rejects, the sluts, the gamblers, the drug addicts, the ex-convicts, the prostitute, the teenage or single moms, the young eloped couples, the disowned heirs, the cabaret dancers, the ones with all the hopes crushed, the one that society was not in need of, the orphans, all found solace in the Sharingan.

Sharing entombed the big stage where their destinies were orchestrated, each of them soaking into their own mystery and living he fantasies playing in their broke minds; with no connection to the big city, they lived in that _illusion_ voluntarily.

Hundreds of outstretched hands, of women, of children, of inept men, of all ages and races, now spanned towards the city, the illusion of liberation, of good life, an aspiring dream which remained only that; the product of their mind, their light and only hope and this _dream_ to once escaping from the Sharingan and move to a place where time actually passed, where they would become citizens honorable again connected them.

They had this dream, this rhythm, this melody drumming into their hearts, the connection at even Sasuke felt it, so powerful, so clear, so _alive_ , so real, even he... an FBI agent infiltrated, someone who shall have remained disimpassioned, detached.

Sharingan offered him solace after his family died, Sharingan was a place where no one judged, no one pitied, no one knew his story, now one whispered behind his back; _poor little Sasuke-Kun,_ people mumbled under their breaths, whispering to each other, _his entire family was killed, he is the only survivor_ , their tone more mocking than truly sympathetic.

 _He inherited all that fortune, but can he handle it? what would become of him now? will he go bankrupt and become a crack addict or end up in the insane asylum or_... his furtive painful memories stopped in their rant there as he quickly shoved them back to where they belong –in a forgotten shelf on the back of his mind, returning his attention back into the present, in Tsunade`s fancy office.

Which still reeked of that abominable fragrance of green apples and cinnamon from the scented candles which Uchiha absolutely _loathed_ with burning passion!

* * *

This words still haunted him, still played repeatedly into his mind, his soul his heart didn't want to forget, to let it go... but the mystery in the Sharingan was soothing, calming, lenitive, it tore him from _that_ reality, from the reality. It hauled him from that hell of solitude, from the pain of losing everything.

The bustling people littering the streets, the eerie boulevards, all the misery, and pain became one with him and he became one of the million other stories of pain all sewed into the net that compelled the Sharingan.

There was still beauty in the decadence… there were always flowers blooming in cold stone.

Here, people suffered, people were miserable, they knew pain, they have been through that living hell and survived it or deny it, everyone understood him even though they never shared it, it was not necessary.

No one who didn't know pain ever entered the Sharingan, they didn't have to. It was the ultimate place to go before death, or even worse. the sinister hollow of pain, that miserable uncensored truth always echoed and thudded into the high streets, cries, beatings, punches, broken furniture and vessel, guns discharged, police cars sirens into the vicinity never venturing inside, sinister laughter, mumbling of incoherence and children's voices.

Walls encrusted with ghostly lost souls, with the echo of their lost desperate screams –voices that no one heard, or pretended not to.

Sasuke actually smirked lightly, feeling such a bitterly sensation churning inside his chest; _there were angels even in Hell_ , he pitied them like he never felt sympathy for anything in his life, but what could he do except for trying to make that place better or keep it as it was? People who couldn't live in the town found 'jobs' and ways to make money in the Sharingan, but a Mafia Leader coming in town would cut that money supply immediately.

* * *

Those people would inevitably _die_ into the moment Haruno Kizashi would start to exploit the Sharingan and siphon illicit money into it and stolen illicit goods there.

He would make it his own backyard, he could control everything and al the income would only fill _his_ pockets.

Those people who have nothing, not even freedom or that pathetic safety of being _among friends_ , since Kizashi's people would do a lot of abuse; and Sasuke compelled the words into the vault of his mind -forced slavery, prostitution, homicide, all sorts of torture.

And it would involve... children. He couldn't let that happen, he could _not_! But he was not the man to do it, he couldn't damn it!

His intellect, his genius and a versatile conniption, the volatile temperament, the ideal dark aura of a veritable _bad guy_ , the disheveled image of a real villain were in his favor and enough to let him directly approach Kizashi.

And definitely, he was _not_ sagging and twiddling in front of that piece of garbled, no way! But approaching his presumptuous spoiled _daughter_... was another story.

Even more difficult to obtain, since he didn't date women, nor was he interested in anything more that they could offer, except for occasional sex without any other commitment.

Clearly, he wouldn't just be able to _fuck_ Sakura Haruno without any strings attached since the idea was to get _close_ extremely close to her entourage, to become someone _important_ , significant in her life and thus get to her father through... _other_ sneaky methods.

Oh, dear Heavens... he pinched the bridge of his sculpted, high nose thinking about his current predicament; he was faced with a situation that was new to him; his internal struggle became too evident on his handsome visage.

"Boy, you just gave me the synopsis of the perfect erotic scenario in my new book." Jirayia already took notes commenting as laughing at the addled appalled expression on Sasuke`s figure, breaking the silence.

Sasuke simply glimmered once then scowled darkly, shifting his glare to the man while everyone glimpsed in disgust at how he scribbled frenetically, the corners of his lush lips curling upwards had nodded in content.

"The new Princess in town and the pauper... a modern R-Rated reinterpretation of the cliché Cinderella... I will make millions with this, damn this is pure _genius_!"

Someone slapped his forehead in the background in pure annoyance, most likely Neji Hyuga who frowned just as deeply as Uchiha himself, outraged by that man's propensity for such… deprived things.

* * *

he was bloody serious about his research. Sasuke only sighed now deciding not to comment, racking a hand thought his hair as those spikes fluttered backwards on his face in such a messy, _sexy_ manner; he felt the burning sensation of his throat to dig some coffee, tea whatever... he wanted to smoke, another bad habit picking up from the Sharingan, he felt the need to _sleep_ or hang out with Shikamaru since the man wasn't annoying him or talking at all, concluding. "Let Hyuga do it," he roared back to Tsunade for the millionth time. "and I will back him up."

"Oh, my _hero_..." Neji commented, snarling at his friend but actually, it wasn't like he didn't want the mission. Tsunade's strategy simply made more sense to him.

They didn't even have a say in this, but Sasuke was not the man to be ordered or bossed around, oh no! This man was not a subordinate either; he was s free spirit, someone not to be tamed, a hawk soaring to the infinite azure without any commitment.

"This is not debatable Sasuke," She pinched the bridge of her nose now tucking Sakura`s file on her left hand as she made Sasuke`s orbs follow the motion. "it's an order! Do you realize what an **order** is?"

"Of course I do," he mocked now that he successfully chaffed the woman, it started to get very amusing teasing her. "Is something that you babble and I am doing my best to ignore."

By how Jirayia raised a glass of something he poured himself from a bottle that he religiously carried with him, probably rum, seeping from it with unhinged fervor and tittering at Uchiha's answer and Tsunade`s facial expression, while the others chortled in the background much to the busty blonde's horror.

Fists slamming against the desk made the papers scamper in all sorts of directions like touched by magic; a vein bulged on her temple as her patient run low... _extremely_ dangerously low.

"Listen, damn it! This is no joke brat! We need to penetrate Haruno`s circle and find out what exactly does he want in the Sharingan!"

The more her tone got a dramatic touch, the more Sasuke smirked wider at her not because he was not being serious about his mission, but because he didn't actually have many sources of entertainment in his life and pissing Tsunade Senju off was a privilege, knowing her flaring conniption.

"It is crucial for us to connect all his illicit acts to his apparently legal business and make the Haruno Empire crumble and we can only do that from _here_ , from Konoha which is his final destination! This hydra has to be stopped and its tentacles cut off!"

"Very poetic and descriptive actually, _Baa-chan_. Your narrative skills are unparalleled Tsunade," Jirayia raised his glass as now he offered a sip to the Uchiha who she knew he drove his bike there, both smirking at her teasingly while Hyuga and Hozuki snickered at how she found herself like a cornered hurt lioness ready to erupt. "you should become an author instead. Let us the real men handle the Feds business."

"Stop being a sexist pig Jirayia," She clipped snarling and gnashing her teeth in pure rage while Jirayia immediately backpedaled form that insults that nearly unfurled from his moist lips.

"I didn't ask _you_." Then her incessant glare switched back to the Uchiha lad, orbs serious, vehement and slightly narrowed not impressing him in the bit or intimidating him –no one ever did fazed him.

"This is not negotiable Sasuke. You will do this because it is your job. We need to get as close to this man as possible without risking to lose our best agent,"

She emphasized that not because she needed to paper and flatter him, but because she enhanced the importance of that mission and the imminent success.

"and this is the safest option, you know that too albeit you want to ward it off. I know you loathe seduction missions and Kami only knows how you repudiate women," _for reasons that I don't get_ , she sputtered under her breath while someone in the background bubbled _asexual prick_ and _coming out of the closet already_ , but she couldn't be too sure.

"but this is the only way and who knows? Maybe you will come to enjoy the _advertisement_. At least the girl is beautiful, so consider yourself lucky."

"Remember when Shino –who also worked as an undercover agent occasionally switching places from the slums of Konoha to the Sharingan and posed as one of Uchiha`s worst enemies— and this alien looking idiot had to work undercover in a convent dressed as nuns?"

Suigetsu dabbed Uchiha`s left shoulder enriching his armchair now smirking and tittering like there was no tomorrow; the scowl on Neji's face deepened like the Grand Canyon at the reminisce.

"this is a walk in the park compared to how they nearly got abused and raped not to mention they worked like slaves doing housework and all sorts of chores twenty-four seven.

Man, I would have thought that nuns only pray, recite from the Bible and stuff related to... God. Instead, those witches nearly got them into the mental hospital..."

Whatever was funny if the entire room snorted and nearly choked on-air laughing hysterically, transcended Neji's comprehension but the mental images rapidly huddling into the front of his mind nearly made his spine shiver.

Those so-called nuns where in reality a criminal group drug dealers, selling heroine in Konoha and the surroundings and occasionally medicines and aphrodisiac herbal plants that they cultivated on their vast fields and gardens, and thus the mission required special agents undercover.

It was something that Neji desperately tried to erase from his memories as soon as possible and Suigetsu was correct, even though he was dying laughing at his misfortune.

* * *

Uchiha`s mission could do not compare, since that Sakura Haruno woman, as shabby and shallow as she seemed, probably vain and insensible to everything around her, was hot... like in extremely _hot_ at least in that close photograph.

Truly, not hot in the sense of a model, those photoshopped glossy faces on popular magazines, not sexy in the sort of unrealistic perfection, but something about her aura, her coltish spirit felt so her _real… a_ palpable figure with flaws and unique feats and those magnetizing iridescent orbs filled with emerald; those were perfection in forms and shades, irresistible.

Coquetting this woman as part of a mission was a bonus so Uchiha's clamor didn't feel justifiable, but everyone knew about his laconic temper, about his lonesome, his pain, his darkness and refusal to get _intimate and close_ to anyone, women included.

Sasuke refused what the mission entitled; commitment, physical contact and opening his heart and spirit to lure a lady.

Yes, his charms might play as the perfect catalyst to spur her interest, to catch Sakura`s eye and made her knees wobble and her body to desire him, but he needed her heart to capture and not only get her into his bed; which shouldn't be this hard.

And seriously seeing him fret out and nearly panic at the prospect was _funny_ as hell. "Must you bring _that_ shit up every time we get together?"

Neji clipped, snarling to a still chortling Suigetsu while Sasuke lights another cigar and dragged flippantly from it, puffing a spiraled cloud into the air, head dropped backward like lounging into a sun lounger, ruminating about how incredibly annoyed he felt by all that clamor. "Should I start to enlist all the outrageous things you have done during your missions Suigetsu?"

Barren of any emotion, no inflection smeared his bass voice when he sputtered, cutting Suigetsu short whatever insult he had prepared to deliver to his Hyuga friend.

"Who guarantees that into the moment when I get this girl to be smitten with me, her father will automatically welcome me into his mafia circle with applause, ovation and open hugs? Might as well threaten me to behave, to be an obedient slave for his precious daughter and stay the hell away from their business; or kill me right on the spot. This is the reason why I can't wrap my fucking mind around the whole undercover charade."

"That is because there is indeed a trivia that you do _not_ know," Tsunade smirked when the Uchiha`s features darkened and his obsidian orbs that traipsed on the wall now flickered back to her; his ebony hair washed with that simple motion of cocking his head and look into her tea orbs; challenging and questioning, a raven eyebrow quirked up.

"Kizashi promised to entrust all his Empire to the husband of his precious daughter because, I quote," she curled her digits and quite in the air. "She is a far too delicate flower to struggle into a sexist world of men; her hands shall remain pure and unstained."

"Whoa- are you fucking serious?!" This time, it was Suigetsu and Jirayia the ones to holler in sync, jaw dropped and orbs narrowed all over her now deadly silent office room.

"Kizashi," Sasuke started low, skeptical about what he just learned. "the notorious _Mafia Boss_ that deals, trades, produces and sells guns and all sorts of shitty drugs within the borders of three countries, the man who is as infamous for his gruesome methods, lethal conniption, short temper and penchant for expensive Cuban cigars and jewelry and sweets, as he is for being secretive and never accepting _outsiders_ in his proximity... wowed to leave his entire business to his spoon-fed brat`s spouse? You`re joking right?"

"No, in fact, I do _not_ joke. Must be some of his wicked tests, but actually, there is a huge internal fighting both her suitors into because they want the girl, but because they want to be their successors and so far, only one nearly passed the test of an _acceptable suitor_ , currently Sakura`s boyfriend," Holding another photograph with a close up profile to the face of the man, the audience gasped again, shocked to the bones.

"Hahaha- man this is fucking priceless! Except for the fact that the paper face and the myriad of expressions of a blank wall, that mime looking dude looks just like Sasuke ahahahahah- dude,"

Being in the verge of tears, Suigetsu leaned onwards and patted him on the back while Sasuke nearly choked on the rest of his cigar –that he flippantly lighted up without caring about Tsunade`s warning not to smoke into the building was now glaring daggers at the picture like wanting it to burn to embers, then back to glare to Suigetsu.

"you should check on your family tree ore carefully because I think you have a long lost brother now coming back into the Sharingan to be your... _competition_ for the girl`s heart and daddy`s guns business hahahaha!"

This time, nearly the entire office minus Tsunade how sternly and unfailingly glanced at Uchiha somehow trying to depict whatever his mind was concocting, burst into hysterics. "This is anything _but_ funny,"

His velvety voice now thundered around the room as both the chortling people resumed their silent giggles feeling the malicious vibes exuding from this man`s menacing atmosphere. "why the fuck would Haruno risk a competition for his offspring`s hand just to find someone to be his successor? I understand his necessity not to leave everything he built into the incapable hands of a _woman_ ,"

This is where Shizune and Tsunade scowled offended at his sexist remark, but Sasuke meant it into the context and definitely a girl in the chair of a Mafia Leader would never be taking seriously on the streets and in the _industry_.

"but instead of going through halls the trouble, he could just find a trustworthy man, equally intelligent, obedient and conniving. Why does the girl have to be in the picture?"

As a bonus? A kinky reward? The man is nuts, he has a sickening fetish…?" Jirayia winked perfectly grinning mischievously while Sasuke shot him a silent glare, being all serious since it was _his_ next few months of freedom the ones they were arguing about.

* * *

"What is the deal with his girl? Does he want to kill two rabbits with one stone while both finding his daughter a husband and a successor to his Mafia Empire? I assume that the 'candidates' must meet both the requirements, cumulated."

"Who knows? This is why we need to get closer to this man," Suddenly Tsunade strategy made more sense but it didn't mean that Sakura happily indulged; not only did his infiltration got even more dangerous and troublesome but now he had to actually steal _out_ of his comfort zone and flirt, pretend to be interested in that woman, coquette her, tempt and seduce her, captivate her, flirt with her and try to win her heart; somehow... that seemed so _wrong_ , so disrespectful to do to a lady.

No matter if she is a Mafia Leader`s dangerous daughter, she was still a _woman_ and woman shall be respected and not played with or used.

This is exactly what Tsunade wanted him to do; use Sakura Haruno to get to his father.

His morals didn't cuddle with this idea, thesis against his principles. Men... yes he had no problem challenging, using, manipulating, ultimately _killing_.

Because that meant failure rivalry, competition, but to use a _girl_ , a woman like this?

The what was the difference between a _Fed_ –theoretically, the man of the law- and the outlaws? The first ones claimed that they did it for the others` benefits, to protect the civilians but in reality, the methods were the same; ultimately _hurting_ someone.

What if Sakura Haruno was nothing like her father and lived outside his world of corruption and illicit acts? What if she was brainwashed, naive, living in puff and plush and pink clouds and was actually sensitive?

Should he even _care_ about that or simply step onto her heart and play her with versatility and tact?

"Maybe he doesn't trust a _girl_ to handle a Mafia Empire all alone I mean, no offense Tsunade- _sama_ ," Jirayia instantaneously raised his hands signalizing that he wasn't being biased and downplaying women, as he saw how she dabbed her manicured nails onto the desk and clucked on her tongue.

"but a woman _behind_ the scene doesn't have much credibility in this job'."

"No shit Sherlock," Suigetsu snorted at the man, throwing him a look that screamed _that's freaking obvious, dude!_

"Remember that red-haired hottie who was in charge with the drugs cartel in Amegakure that we arrested while she tried to cross the border with 50 kilograms of cocaine and methamphetamine and head to the Turtle Island in Kumo? Damn... what a woman! She made Tsunade-baa-chan look like a school girl with a crush in a field of poppies." Oh, the glare he got from Tsunade nearly made him reel as he barely stifled laughter.

"That was a one in a million case buddy. Yes, she got herself quite the reputation but nowhere near built an _Empire_ like Haruno Kizashi. He is in a league of his own, top-notch dog not some female with too much zeal, growing some balls and throwing a curveball in the world dominated by _men_ in a spur of feminism."

Now with a more vehement, serious, professional look in his deep obsidian orbs, Sasuke mapped the files that perched on Tsunade`s office desk, nipping on his lower lip as he clipped, cutting Suigetsu and Jiraiya's ramble short.

"I will make a lot of enemies if I get close to Haruno," He smartly noticed as Tsunade sighed and the room grew suddenly awkwardly still and quiet; he only spoke the truth which meant that his life would be in an even more imminent danger than before.

"much more than now at least… not to mention more dangerous; not only I will have to watch my back constantly for Haruno and his spies -as they will most likely _test_ me prior to entrusting me with his beloved brat- but also my Sharingan neighbors."

Not that Sasuke was loved in the Sharingan as he was now, but perceived mostly as an intriguing dark character with a questionable background, a lot of nasty rumors sprinkled about his background and an intimidating aura.

But being associated with the one who controlled the streets in the Sharingan, someone with Haruno`s notoriety would automatically propel him on the 'top 10 people to kill' on every other Boss` blacklist.

 _Troublesome_ , as Shikamaru would put it, now Sasuke thought sarcastically realizing that the genius` catchphrase was also the one to signalize that more than a little strategy was needed to handle this case.

"Are you admitting defeat then? Without even _starting_ your mission?" Tsunade actually couldn't stop ring not recognizing this man for Sasuke was famous for never wavering, more nee faltering, never holding back. "That's not like you brat."

But now he seemed far too cautious, too circumspect, almost hesitant for reasons that she could comprehend.

"Maybe _little_ Sasuke got scared," Suigetsu shrugged now leaning onwards on his chair to pat the Uchiha on his shoulder, but immediately Sasuke whacked his hand away with a vicious, annoyed a cluck on his tongue and a snarl, not even glancing in his direction; that idiot… "He got scared of a _girl_ because it is, in reality, asexual or completely gay. Or _both_."

Sasuke didn't even bother to rack his brain for a retort to his idiotic remark now locking gazes with Tsunade whose smirk faltered momentarily as she straightened her pose, now arms crisscrossing over her voluptuous bust.

Impatiently as she tried to un-puzzle this boy who she grew fond of like he was her own son and depict the quintessence of this hesitation.

"What are you thinking about so intently?" She confronted him bluntly as Sasuke glanced skywards, staring at a blank point like peeing _thought_ the walls of that clustered office room.

Blinking once absentmindedly, his obsidian orbs shuffled back to her now flippantly speaking, evenly with no emotion in his conniption, but he won't fool Tsunade.

Not even Jirayia who, albeit tittered and ogled Sakura Haruno`s photograph imagining all sorts of indecent thinks they would do to that beauty, overlooked _that_ strange vicissitude in Sasuke's tenure.

* * *

Something made him _anxious_ , an emotion that no Uchiha portrayed so bluntly, openly.

"Nothing particularly…" Sasuke denied everything in one smooth laconic response, lying through his teeth skillfully with much nonchalance.

"I was just thinking about how should I approach this girl without being _too_ ostentatious or look hysteric." A desperate man looking like a raging pubescent virgin teenager was the perfect recipe to make a lady run for her life.

Inwardly, he himself couldn't explain the sentiment that brimmed along his spine; like a foreboding electric surge, so alien to him and sprinkled with something that shall remain a mystery.

Was it intuition or bad omen? Sasuke was hardly someone superstitious, but even so... the hair at the back of his nape and behind his ears prickled like a wraith or an eidolon stood behind him, menacing and ready to harm him.

That sudden spurt of adrenaline simmering though his vessels made him nervous, anxious as his palms prickled with beads of perspiration.

The emotion he hasn't felt in ages, simply because in time, his heart petrified, becoming a prisoner in a casket made of stone, _emotionless_ , without any feelings churning inside.

He felt nothing, only emptiness, that hallucinate void in his chest that hurtled him into a solitary world that he grew to enjoy.

Or was it complacence?

Something about the prospect of getting _close_ to Haruno Kizashi made him apprehensive almost like alerting him that it was a very _bad_ idea, and he had no idea why.

Yes, the mission was on a high danger level as he would basically constantly live with a gun pressed to his temple, always having to plan, to calculate every move... but that was not enough to make _him_ fret.

"With much tact, that`s for sure." Neji Hyuga shall stop being a smartass for his own good; otherwise, Sasuke would snap at the man, sent him in his origins and then whack him against his nape.

"Duh… you don't say," He snarled rudely now glaring at the Hyuga who returned the stare, amused by his situation.

Definitely undercover missions involving seduction weren't his style and seeing an Uchiha bristle was always funny as Hell; especially since teasing him always felt rewarding.

"When I`ll need flirting advice then I`ll rather ask this decrepit pervert instead rather than ask _you_ -the one that women get bored of in the first twenty seconds."

Suigetsu, Tsunade and Shizune smirked and chortled seeing how Jiraiya's triumphant smirk turned upside down as a gloomy cloud loomed over his head, now that his vast experience had been reduced to an old 'creep'.

Feeling affronted, the Hyuga prepared a well-chosen insult for Sasuke, but he immediately trimmed, cutting him short even before he had the chance to pour even more gasoline on the fire. "You are not paying me enough for this nonsense Tsunade-baa-chan."

Quirking an amused eyebrow up at the sole Uchiha survivor, Tsunade leaned against her humongous oak desk, trying to conceal her amused expression childing into her tea orbs; yes she loathed people stumbling and barging into her office in the morning -even though she was the one to summon them- and throw a tantrum, but at the same time, this dysfunctional team with so many peculiar characters definitely entertained her. "How`s so? You are already paid triple than a regular undercover mission."

"You greedy prick," Suigetsu lectured him teasingly with a finger in the air like berating a high school student for not doing his homework.

"you have the highest wage of all the agents. What exactly do you need more money for? You are already shit loaded and not even spend a single ryo! I mean… wouldn't it be fairer for the others to just… I dunno—give up your wage entirely? We –the rest, can split your part of money in fair shares."

"Hn. Like drug dealers. No, I`ll rather use them to change planets and fly to a place where no idiots reside," He clipped now tucking on the picture of that troublesome Mafia girl with her strawberry blonde tresses and kittenish apple orbs, the lustrous paper now ruffled and wrinkled in his hand. "the Moon would be acceptable."

"Well- good for ya`. Wait until someone trademarks teleportation or space-time machines on the internet."

"It's not that I won't be interested in studying such a meticulous file, but I assume that I shall also keep a close eye on his moves too. See what this guy`s 'hobbies' are… his favorite spots to deal, his contacts, underground connections, higher-ups and politicians affiliated to him.. so on and so forth…?"

Sasuke sputtered languidly as it was no big deal when in reality they all knew it was anything but.

"I know it's a pain in the ass for you," Tsunade sighed now pushing another file under his nose and this time, he actually mapped it, frowning with fervor at the names associated to the attached pictures of some fellows that he genuinely _despised_.

"but you won't be alone. ATF has also infiltrated into the Sharingan; Danzo`s orders to be more specific." Tsunade snarled as the audience suddenly went silent at the name dropped.

Yup, definitely a _pain in the ass_. "Wait—what the fuck?! Why is that decrepit psychotic tyrant meddling with _our_ case?"

* * *

Uchiha couldn't help but inquire now more than ever feeling his blood simmer; he could explain it, maybe it lied in Danzo`s difficult calloused attitude, maybe it was his extremist ideologies that clashed with Sasuke or maybe it was a reciprocation of similar feelings, but Sasuke despised that man with a burning passion. "You should have started with _this_ particular trivia Tsunade."

Shimura Danzo always had this annoying tendency to mingle into affairs that never concerned him just to span his influence like a hydra; his limbs containing poison.

"Tell them off immediately! I want none of his lapdogs scurrying into my area. And definitely, I am in no need of their _generous_ help." He clipped sardonically flat out refusing to be anywhere near Danzo or his lapdogs –the thought alone repulsed him terribly.

"I`m afraid that it does not depend solely on me. I also find it suspicious -his interest into the Sharingan- but he is still an expert. As long as he and his Root can benefit to our case and provide support then I see nothing to moan about." She hasn't meant it as a warning, but more of a friendly advice.

Tsunade more than anyone didn't trust Danzo but he was also one of the higher-ups, with a very important position and a strong background -not to mention an unknown number of adepts, thus it wasn't debatable.

The agents in the Root were under his secret strict command and they responded to no one else. The ATF branch has been put under his command too and actually, that left a big question mark looming all over the FBI agents` heads.

How did Danzo succeed in spanning his influence so rapidly to such an extent? He now partook to the higher ups and many suspected that he was one of the masterminds behind the FBI, but then again, no one can know for sure.

Some even expected that Danzo once worked as a _CIA_ agent undercover, but for a mysterious reason he withdraws and joined the FBI instead.

His file was also classified or fabricated and thus no one could tell for sure. Indeed an enigma, Shimura Danzo meddling where it didn't concern him meant serious trouble. "That`s odd,"

Jirayia interfered now with as serious expression creasing his goofy face; so different from earlier as he too never trusting Danzo.

"usually the ATF gets an undercover mission when they have a suspect and the tracks of their illegal activities. They rarely do random espionage unless they work on a RICO case…"

"Which means that they are having a _double_ mission; one is to spy on Haruno and the other is occult."

Sasuke deduced as Tsunade rubbed her chin, her stance contemplative, hard and stern. She didn't like that at all. She didn't like it one bit but what else could they do?

"Hyuga, Hozuki," She beckoned the two vehemently as they immediately straightened their poses.

Not because they filled anyone that they were polite and respectful, but because something about Tsunade's edginess made them instantaneously alert.

"you two keep an eye on Danzo`s henchmen! I don't want the Root to interfere with our mission to capture Haruno."

"Do you think that cockroach might try to approach Haruno secretly and cut a deal?" Sasuke challenged bluntly as the office went silent like a grave.

"With him... I think that even something so outrageous might be possible, yes. I _do_."

"An FBI superior working hand in hand with a Mafia Boss with Haruno`s notoriety means serious trouble,"

Neji noted the obvious but someone had to actually voice it out –because accusing an FBI superior publicly usually led to disciplinary sanctions or even worse. "the impact would be something that would be out of our league. The guy would spear his cartel throughout all the national authorities and thus no police, no prosecutors, no judges or FBI would detain him. He would have the justice in his white gloves and Danzo could never be held responsible because he is untouchable."

Because being an FBI undercover offered one immunity and someone like Danzo could easily demonstrate that he was working on the case, undercover like Sasuke.

Uchiha -as long as he acts in the FBI`s best interest- was also an untouchable as he was protected by the _law_. And that power might become hysteric, maniacal and irresistible in the hands of a vicious man or a volatile mind -like Danzo`s.

Sasuke had perfect self-discipline never letting himself corrupted or tempted by using the law to commit crimes.

"I shall also look deeper into our friend`s file," Jirayia noted now as he stood up, dusting off his loose pants, fixing his hair like a diva on a runaway.

"maybe we can find something interested about the Root." And they all knew what Jirayia meant by 'looking into a file'.

"Are you going to hack their system like... again?"

"yes, and this time I will ask for Shikamaru`s help. That boy is a genius like his dad in computers and technology. I will try not to get caught this time."

Because failing once has been enough to attract Danzo`s opprobrium; he also never trusted Tsunade and Jirayia and the meetings were something tempestuous and fervent.

"Why go through all the trouble?" Suigetsu inquired confused as to why they would simply try to access the files of a man who obviously schemed behind their backs.

"Isn't it easier to follow this guy tracks and see where it stops?" meaning to try and decipher his game, but Danzo was a genius and a strategist. It won't is so facile.

"Because you guys think that there is someone else standing right _behind_ this pest, in the _shadows_ and pulling the strings,"

Sasuke once again ventured further, looking at the underneath; the crooked smirk tucking on the corners of his firm lips baffled his audience.

He was enjoying this mind games, this puzzling strategy, it was in ebbed into his Uchiha blood to decipher enigmas, intricate cases that puzzled the minds.

"someone else even higher who keeps a low profile and manipulates Danzo like a marionette."

* * *

 _But who?_ It was a quest that no one had an assumption for, let alone a surmise. Danzo was a man who seemed not to ever let himself be manipulated, played.

He was the conductor of the orchestra and not an instrument. But power and ambition could become turbulent and Delphic at some point.

And people would do the unthinkable to accomplished their twisted dreams. It could be Danzo's case too but then again no one knew for sure and that peculiar _incertitude_ led to insecurity and mistrust.

"I don't this in the bit. Uncle Hiashi always said that people like Danzo Shimura are lone wolves and dark horses. But they never accept _partnerships_ or, even worse, another _puppeteer_. He always loathed competition ever since he has been overshadowed and outclassed by his rival and friend, Sarutobi Hiruzen."

Who just happened to be the current FBI Head and one of the most prodigious, legendary former agents in the entire FBI history.

An eloquent man with the wisdom of a Sage, the kindness of an archangel and an intuition unparalleled only rivaled by his witty brain and craziness; this man was complete package an ideal and someone who kept everything in one piece. A referee, the pillar of the FBI, their liaison and teacher and a mentor.

"Manipulation doesn't necessarily have to be painfully obvious," Sasuke added again pulverizing Neji`s earlier surmises and theories; he cared about his friends, but he sometimes disapproved of their strict and narrow-minded ideologies, especially if they were borrowed from the previous generation.

"it can also be smart and insidious, in fact, this is the most dangerous type of manipulation."

"So then- to conclude," Neji who absolutely despised useless ramble now decided to put an end to all that brainstorming, desperately needed some dark coffee into his system; working on the files and paperwork related to his last successful mission took a toll on him.

Who would have known that killing people in self-defense took so much paperwork to do. "we suppose that Shimura Danzo who has been recently promoted and now has the ATF under his malevolent wings is plotting something behind FBI`s back, _with_ the help of someone else -supposing that the mysterious figure is also the one pulling the strings, seeing from a _connection_ to Haruno Hiashi, the top-notch Mafia Boss?"

Tsunade's curt nod told him enough. Exhaling through his nostrils, he knew that the upcoming weeks would be stressful and take a toll on him. "I shall call my secretary and clear my agenda."

"Take some bug repellant," Suigetsu mocked him absolutely savoring the tinge of petrifying horror at the prospect of going undercover into the slums of the Sharingan; for a delicate, aristocrat man like Hyuga Neji, raised with a silver spoon, living like a tramp was the ultimate challenge. "That, if you don't want to keep those bugs for dinner-"

"-don't even mention it ok? My stomach churns at the mere idea. Damn—I would have to sneak food into my pockets _again_ so as not to get ill."

"Well- what do you know," Suigetsu teased now leaning backward totally amused by mocking the prim Hyuga and thrilled at the prospect of going undercover in the firmament of tugs; oh how he adored slicing things.

"you won't find caviar, quinoa salad, and Kobe beef in the Sharingan. This idiot says that the most decent nearby fast food`s specialty is fried potatoes soaked in expired ketchup, extra salt and pepper and a questionable looking imported salad."

The horrified look on Neji's face made the entire office burst out laughing with the exception of Sasuke -who still studied something on the file- and Tsunade whose temples exploded. "Ok, that`s enough kids! Time to pack your things up and enroll in the boot camp!"

She teased now as Neji still shivered in the background –he so loathed undercover missions especially in decrepit areas.

Suigetsu collected the copy of the file that Sasuke has been given to hand it out to Neji because he won't be caught dead _reading_.

"Double payment for you during the mission and extra payment for risk which would make it a _triple_ payment for you boys."

She declared while Neji wasn't in the bit amused –he was already loaded thus he wasn't doing his job for the money, but for commitment.

'Who will get the money if I die or get all those contagious diseases from the slums of the society?"

"Your successors of course; that's what the family law states."

"Which means o you have to find yourself a woman first." Suigetsu the whipped a tears sliding from his eye as his stomach got cramps because of maniacal laughter.

Neji was a pro at undercover missions, but usually, he infiltrated into less insalubrious environments, like Mafia cartels. Or at least, _decent_ ones. "Come, if Sasuke could do it then we can too."

"We ain`t bats or werewolves like him." The Hyuga added as a vein now protruded from his temples, his milky orbs focusing -bristling and simmering- on Suigetsu, hastily snatching the file from his hands; that idiot...

"Where the hell is Sasuke?" he inquired now that everyone noticed the _absence_ of the Uchiha; probably he snuck on the door while they argued fervently annoyed by their loud conniption.

It wouldn't be the first time… that man wasn't even greeting them or shown any signs of politeness or courtesy.

"Probably exasperated by how loud you guys are in the morning," Tsunade added without paying it much heed, accustomed by now with Uchiha`s tendencies. "Or in a rush to meet his _target_."

"Oh, you didn't..." Suigetsu turned to see Tsunade now seeping a coffee courtesy to Shizune -who discreetly snatched the bottle of Sake off the desk and smirked. "...for a generous amount of printed copies of the rookie agents from the ATF`s locker rooms, I might not tell him that you _just_ said that."

"Get your extortionist ass out of my office Hozuki and don't you dare to blackmail me, boy. I've been in this profession far more than you and definitely know more tricks."

She then added as her once littered office briskly emptied of annoying idiots complaining about every mission –seriously why couldn't she have _normal_ agents as subordinates and got stuck with this mismatched, weird pack?

"And give me some good information on the decrepit asshole!" She shouted as Suigetsu tittered manically amused by how interesting the morning proved to be.

Neji on the other hand had a chaffed expression etched on his scowling face, still pissed off as hell about the mission.

"I don't like this Danzo involvement and I don't like it at all. This sounds fishy to me… it will get us in a lot of complications from here on out, I can feel it."

"But that's not all that troubles your pretty ass." Suigetsu mumbled crossing his hand behind his nape winking at a particularly attractive red-haired rookie that shied away from his stare as he caught her ogling him.

"I`m concerned about Sasuke too yes," he whispered now as they passed their colleagues nodding courtly cursing. "this obtuse friend of ours is submerging more and more into _darkness_."

Suigetsu deadpanned but didn't argue back because he too was worried –albeit not showing it as much as Neji or Tsunade did.

"What shall we do then? Get him drunk? Perform an exorcism on him? You know _how_ he is… you know his temper and there is nothing we can do about it."

Neji gave him a look saying 'we have already tried that one before' then he shrugged smirking.

"Maybe we should get himself a woman. A nice girl will temper and placate him or at least… entertain him; make him look less like the crazy, gothic listless doll without a soul."

"It`s not a fling or trifling little romance the thing that he needs now, nor dubious one night stands with random chicks. Tsunade-baa-chan should consider taking this mission form him and send his ass on a vacation. Hell, he hardly hangs out with us anymore and doesn't even open up anymore well... not that he was a talkative easygoing person before, but now he only grunts and grumbles in disagreement. There's a fucking cloud looming over his head and everyone can see it; it's painfully obvious. I`m afraid he will commit suicide."

"Dude, seriously?" Suigetsu chortled at that as they strolled along the halls of the bustling building, occasionally greeting the other rushed colleagues passing them by. "How far have ya` known Sasuke? You should have known by now bro... that this mission,"

He took the files from Neji's hands now giving them a suspicious knowing look. "is practically screaming his name." Then he smirked in such a questionable, impish manner that nearly had Neji scoff. "And by that, I`m also including _that_ hot chick."

Suggestively, his eyebrows wiggled as Neji sighed knowing where that conversation led to –like they haven't tried that before unsuccessfully.

Sasuke simply wasn't _that_ type of man, no matter how his attractive look might put him automatically in the category of a philanderer.

"Seriously, can't I have a serious conversation with you about a friend that I`m worried about?"

"Sasuke- _chan_ doesn't need his friends to babysit his sorry ass; you know as much as I do that the bastard leads a monastic life, minus the parts when he drinks, curses like a sailor and has sex. And those are also -frighteningly- rare occurrences.

So rare that it... starts to scare me too. Damn you Neji, you`re getting me paranoid and this is a very bad omen considering our... _mission_."

"We shall keep an eye on _him_ rather than Danzo and his ATF snakes. As much as I don't trust this man, I trust Sasuke more to do something stupid first."

"Like... going into a brouhaha with one of the Superiors?" Peeping and gasping at the scene before them, they immediately scurried behind one of the ornamental lemon trees deciding whether it would be wise to intervene or call someone competent enough to shatter the upcoming class -the tempest in the atmosphere felt scorching and humid and difficult to inhale.

"Oh _shit_! This doesn`t look good…"

"Dude—you don't say…?"

"Quickly, call Tsunade-sama, this might get nasty!"

* * *

.

.

.

* * *

His heels revved against the littered with agents and personnel halls, infused with life and loud orders, telephone calls and emergencies, now ramming into his already escalading headache pissed Sasuke off even worse.

Racking a hand through his ebony mane, he lighted a cigarette not giving a flying damn about the rule forbidding smoking indoors, galloping through the rushed people, shoving them off his way and only focusing onwards not acknowledging anyone in his haste.

Sasuke was not the most polite co-worker in the world, he was that solitary eccentric genius with questionable sanity and redundant –nonexistent– hobbies, the ones that every organization craved to have, but everyone feared and hated to be in his vicinity, and thus he didn't need to fake that he actually _did_ care about them, when he clearly did not.

The subtle or not attempts to flirt were frequent as well as the longing looks, the obvious lust and pheromones silently exuded a feverous desire for ravaging him senseless, coming from the rather beautiful FBI co-workers, but Uchiha was unswerving; he never acknowledged any single one of those women, even if it was more than evident that he still remained a fascination, an extremely _hot_ agent undercover, taking the riskiest and most dangerous missions; and succeeding most of the time.

But one particular remark coming from one of his colleagues that were on his blacklist of people to hate in a lifetime made Uchiha halt in his energetic pace.

Dead in his tracks without sagging or flinching or even turning around he stood, proud and intimidating, with a superior presumptuous arrogance about him what Sasuke could clearly back it up anytime.

Listening to the venomous derisive comment of a man who was his senior, now lingering in the half-opened door of his glass office, spilling nonsense.

"Already in such a depressing mood so early in the morning, _Uchiha_?" The way he spat his surname was the sole reason for Sasuke not to continue his sashay.

"And what an extremely _delightful_ appearance, you are truly a sight to sore eyes. I see it that you perfectly blend into the slums and society rejects. Now I almost mistook you as one of them!"

Rancorous laughter, sinister and cynic to his ears thudded around the hall as the rushed people threw curious glances to whoever made such a remark and to _whom_ ; seeing that it was _the_ Uchiha Sasuke the one to be mocked by an Executive was rare but always a sight to behold, a notorious story to be gossiped and analyzed later on.

"You`re such a mess honestly that I don't find it even funny that they allow such _rats_ into this building, let alone making us deem you as a fellow _co-worker_! I don`t know why you don't return to your rat hole already instead of polluting our air."

Agents, Executives, trainees and secretaries as busy as they were all preoccupied with their own tasks found that remark has, rude and rude and so _unfair_ to Sasuke, but didn't dare to intervene. "Tsk... _annoying_." Sasuke, on the other hand, appeared unruffled and completely unaffected, and he was not.

He didn't care about what the others thought of him and plus... _Shimura Danzo_ was a loud blabbermouth with overdose of testosterone, a fairly prodigious career but a certain penchant to piss Sasuke off, mainly because his father was once one of the Directors of the CIA when Shimura was an agent and thus he always worked _under_ the command of an Uchiha and was never the top himself... until now when he paved his way up, now standing on a pedestal and enjoying his vengeance; to order the _last_ Uchiha around.

Or so he thought. Because his next remark, as sarcastic and vulgar as it was, should have been wise to keep for himself.

"Heh... that`s right, run away because this is exactly what you the cursed _Uchihas_ were good at; scurried away like cockroaches whenever it was convenient for you, never listening to anyone, never obeying anyone and nor were you truly capable of handling a mission successfully without screwing it up badly. Honestly... it would have been just fine if _all of you_ would have died in that night so as every piece of your damned corpses would turn into an unpleasant memory-"

His ironed white collar was now tucked into a ferocious grip and, albeit this man was one head taller than the already ridiculous tall Uchiha and equally able-bodied and muscular as the last survivor of the massacre...

Sasuke managed to slam him against his office door, successfully forming him up against the cubic shaped colored glass of the door, until only the points of his shoes tapped against the floor; the entire all who witnessed the spectacle frozen in shock.

"—do. Not. ever," Sasuke`s pressed low voice felt horrible against Danzo`s skin, it made his eardrums bleed, horror traversed his spine and he has once been a top CIA agent in the past but... damn. "talk or even mention anything about my _family,_ "

His elbow pressing into his windpipe, Danzo`s puffy cheeks turned red as he visibly tried to inhale properly, to no again. "or… I won't hesitate to. kill. you... _Danzo_ ; like the pile of trash you are, I`ll send you back to Hell where you crawled from."

That threat thudding along the halls of the CIA`s building felt painful, lacerated through the skin of the other co-workers and something that only the most wanted trapped criminals would say, but never an _agent_.

Sasuke Uchiha on the other hand, didn't even flinch or hesitate, didn't blink -that threat unwounded from the bottom of his heart, and the scariest part was that he had the capability to take on Shimura Danzo in a heartbeat if he wished to.

He even had the mental strength of a veritable assassin if he set his mind on and thus _the_ infamous Danzo Shimura of the _Root_ nearly shimmied in fear but was good to hide it; he won't be seen trembling and sagging in fear before a subordinate.

"Let go- you brat! _–cough cough cough–_ H-How dare you to touch me with those filthy hands?!"

He roared now, tempestuous orbs gleaming venomously while he brutally shoved Sasuke`s hand away from pressing into his throat, pushing off his chest, but his palm met iron and steel alloy.

The Uchiha didn't even flinch, nor did his legs backpedaled one single inch because of his rather forceful slap on his right pectoral.

 _Oh_... Sasuke truly and genuinely _adored_ to practice, to train, to burn out in the gym until midnight, he sparred with Neji Hyuga, one of the best CIA fighter, a master in traditional martial arts and a good sparring partner; he had training all right.

"family bonds are one hard cookie to spit... son." He sputtered while glancing at his left wrist where then Sasuke found.

"What?"

 _"Drop it already Sasuke!"_ Tsunade's roar and the clamor caused by their burst of temper determined Sasuke to loosen up his clutch on the man; it wasn't like h could beat the shit out of a Fed in their own building.

They both knew that setting this dispute up had to be dome in an abandoned place in absolute secrecy and without witnesses on their tail.

As much as he had a messy appearance, Uchiha Sasuke was in excellent condition. And his conniption was even more intimidating and fearsome. "Next time you feel like opening up your mouth," The Uchiha dropped venom to him, responding with equal vehemence and spite in his orbs. "make sure is not full of shit."

"You arrogant vulgar bastard-"

"-stop it right there!" Tsunade's unmistakable voice made anyone turn their orbs in the direction of the fulminant stern voice, with the exception of Uchiha and Danzo who still pinned each other with incessant glares. But her heels clearly carried her in their direction and now everyone gulped and pretended to be busy with work, not wanting to anger this woman.

"what the heck is going on here?! Aren't you guys ashamed to fight between you like two delinquents?" It was not like problems between colleagues didn't arise, but this time Sasuke was involved and... it meant serious trouble.

"What kind of example are you setting to your colleagues, subordinates and the people in general?" Who expected and _demanded_ an impeccable conniption from them, instead of those incessant affronts and tension.

And Danzo, the protégée of that loathsome Homura and Koharu made Tsunade's temples explode in anger. "Do you want to be punished or taken to the Director?! What do you think this is, a boxing ring?"

"He started it, like always!" Danzo immediately shot in his pathetic defense, proving to be a spineless coward hiding behind the shield of the ones who propelled him to where he stood now, ignoring Sasuke`s role of orbs and his deifying smirk; shaking his head slowly, Sasuke inwardly tittered because Tsunade did nothing to conceal her fury and abhorrence towards _this_ character. "Such unforgivable insolence shall not be tolerated further!"

Too bad she didn't find a way to get hi misfired from the CIA and throw his ass in the streets until now. "But what would you expect from such a..."

Searching for proper words to express his hate for the Uchiha, he babbled like a kid scolded by his teacher. "...a delinquent! He`s a disgrace to all the agents and our prestigious organization-"

"-enough with the feeble explanations Shimura, I don't want to hear them now!" Raising a palm before his slamming orbs, unfailingly Tsunade held her ground like a veritable Director now putting Danzo into his place.

"Get your lazy ass back to work! If you have time to cause havoc instead of setting an example to your juniors, then I assume you are done with your paperwork, right?"

Crossing her hands upon her well-endowed bust, she tapped her hell onto the floor, the sound resounding in sublime superiority and power –albeit she was also berating another higher-up with, possibly, a higher position than _her_ , but Tsunade was also a free spirit who would bend to no one.

Clucking on his tongue, mumbling a train of curses towards Tsunade and Sasuke, he slammed the door of his office shut departing with the words _this is not over brat_ sputtered from his lips, leaving an astounded throng of people rooted in place, waiting for Tsunade to talk. "Damn that arrogant fella… tsk…"

Exhaling once in pure exasperation, she turned and just in time for Neji Hyuga, Jirayia and Suigetsu who sensed to clamor and immediately rushed outside when Hozuki inquired.

"What happened here? Did you guys had a lover`s quarrel? That`s the second today... you guys need marital counseling already."

Smirking knowingly, his wiggling orbs bespeaking of kinky intentions looming above their heads made a vein pop onto Tsuande`s temple. Those idiots were...

"Shut up Hozuki! This is so not the place for corny jokes! Keep them in your moronic guy's talk!"

Accusingly, her outstretched finger made Suigetsu`s aquamarine orbs crisscross comically the scene turning into a grotesque dark comedy.

Sasuke vaguely asked himself why was he still there instead of returning into the Sharingan? he got work to do but instead, _pests_ got on his way, detaining him.

"And you!" No single muscle of his body flinched when Tsunade pivoted on her legs, blonde low tails spilling around her shoulders as she roared to the disimpassioned Uchiha.

"What the heck was on your mind to respond to that man`s provocation?!" Sasuke was grateful that Tsunade didn't even imply that _he_ started the quarrel with that idiot, but he knew she had to keep the appearance and be objective, instead of favoritism to one of the parties.

So he endured her loud piercing voice and short lecture for now. "Do you want to get me into troubles with the other Directors? That`s the last thing I need now!"

"Can I go now, _mommy_?" He actually dared to _smirk_ , that cocky ridiculously handsome boy. Oh, Tsunade needed two damn bottles of sake; she already felt too damn old for this type of jobs.

Sasuke didn't go along with any of the other FBI colleagues, his conniption was difficult, laconic and rigid, he was rude, vulgar, hard and blunt, he didn't mingle with the others, he didn't befriend them, he only had a handful of friends, he refused any form of human contact, he kept everyone at distance and thus he was one difficult case to deal with; always, such problems arouse with him as a protagonist. "I need to do my _homework_."

But no one could touch him not because they paid homage to his family and his father who was the Director, but because his skill was second to none; he was unparalleled, elite, a top agent, one in a million, an irreplaceable _genius_ in his generation.

It was his attitude his hermetic character, the way his heart was trapped into a protective shell, an impenetrable cocoon, the unreachable harsh tenure that made him so hated into the FBI.

Danzo was definitely not his sole enemy here, oh no... on the contrary he had more people to loathe him in the FBI than in the Sharingan.

How ironic... he only had a decent relationship of ignoring them politely with the agents who also worked undercover as him. They related to each other, understanding their sacrifice in lieu of their missions, but that was it.

"Sasuke?" Suigetsu strolled to the Uchiha who mounted his bike, huddling his rumpled ebony locks under the expanse of his helmet, flippantly glancing on his left to half acknowledge the idiot who called him.

"Don`t mind Tsunade, she is already stressed enough with the recruitment of the new agents and the Annual Medal Parade,"

His tone welled with genuine concern that nearly made Sasuke crease his eyebrows in a suspicious frown; why did _he_ care about Tsunade's feelings? "she has nothing personal with _you_."

"Your point is...?"

Suigetsu exhaled now as his voice turned serious and soft following Uchiha as his demanding hard steps pelted along the hall rushing to the exit.

"We`re worried `bout`cha man," he started colloquially seeing that Uchiha didn't listen to any more lectures; he became more and more like the delinquents from the ghettos since the start of his mission; no one judged or reproached but... it was more difficult to get _close_ to the Uchiha in such a grumpy petulant approach.

"you`re distant to us, you hardly hang out with us on Fridays and Saturdays, you almost never answer to our calls, you are more and more of a grumpy bastard with that thunder could looing above you,"

He gestured above Sasuke head as virtually pointing his rejecting aura. "whatever crosses through that damned head of you? How about you _share_ it with your best pals?"

Sasuke had _no_ absolutely no reaction, albeit he knew Suigetsu was right and truly concerned. gratitude was one thing, but his real feelings another.

Raising his shoulders indifferently, he started his bike, his tone neutral, unfazed, untouched by any feelings, cold, distant like Suigetsu pointed. "Hn."

Encircling Hozuki as the Sharingan was in the opposite direction to how he aimlessly parked his bike on a spot that was seemingly designed to his _superiors_ , he cocked his head presumptuously, his or a perilous glint albeit his thin lips barely puckered into a crooked smirk. "Are you trying to impress Tsunade- _sama_ by lecturing me like the... _adult_ you are Suigetsu?"

His mocking tone made him exhaled, racking his hand through his hair Suigetsu glanced in the direction of Neji's unswerving smooth sashay approaching them, while Sasuke already clicked on his tongue in exploration; this morning sucked worse than any other, he has been appointed a disdainful seduction mission that he abhorred, feeling his temples exploding and those idiots were not getting the picture; that he didn't care about what the others thought about him.

"Heh," he heard how exasperation huddled in Suigetsu`s chest, amethyst orbs lit and dangerous, warning that he would take no more workers, no more derisive whistles.

But vying with Uchiha`s petulant conniption was already a lost battle since this man was as tempestuous as he was unpredictable, impossible to read, to depict what churned into the front of his mind; his chest, an endless abyss shrouded by nothingness, an impenetrable zilch, painful, hollow and _dark_ , so incredibly dark. More obscure than in anyone else.

"Don`t be so cocky Sasuke," Neji`s velvet tone, chocolate and smooth as cognac, but authoritarian, vehement and strong made Sasuke`s sable orbs flicker to the equally standoffish Hyuga, he a similar character to Uchiha, now smirking in pure contempt and amusement at their concern; living under the misery and dangers of the Sharingan made him more introvert, colder, darker, spiteful towards the others, more reticent and circumspect in trusting people in general and even more distant and cold when they tried to _bond_ with him. "we are just concerned that`s all.

No need to be so rude about that. We are your best friends," the short break in his tone nearly made Sasuke snort in amusement because Neji faltered like not being overly convinced that they still were friends. "of course that we are worried."

"Yeah, so?" Uchiha clipped expectantly mounting his bike like they were a hinder blocking his way _out_ of there. "Do you guys think that I care about Tsunade or Danzo or... anyone else for the matter?"

He tilted his head glancing on the parking lot to a clique of agents smoking, drinking coffee and occasionally glancing in their direction, whispering among them, tittering, shaking their heads -probably his argument with Shimura swished past their receptive eardrums, and since they didn't have a social life of their own gossip became a favorite passing time.

"I don't." He then casually glanced back to his friends. "And you shouldn't either. Be smarter guys, this is no playground where _kids_ bond."

That was real life and now the image of Sharingan people unwound in his mind. "You changed a lot,"

Neji shown no reticence or hesitation in unfurling those taboo epistles to Uchiha. "dramatically, I could add. You become more and more like the people you _spy_ on." highlighting that he should be emotionally _involved_ , sympathetic to the society rejects. "And less like one of _us_."

"And what does 'us' mean to you?" This mad Uchiha snort, not even stopping the engine of his roaring like taking pleasure in how it exasperated the other FBI colleagues, he snatched Neji`s FBI badge from its holder dangling from the chain attached to his pants even before the Hyuga had a chance to react and, holding it before him like raveling his identity to a throng of criminals, he til.t his head, clicking on is tongue. "tch... this? One piece of useless piece of _paper_? Are you guys serious?"

Understanding that FBI maintain order and protected the others, was justifiable for Sasuke to be an elite agent. But he never acquiesced to the presumptuousness pertaining to the FBI as a _group_ bound by camaraderie, or the superiority of having such a desirable job, something that kids dreamed off since preschoolers, to be on par with their Marvel Heroes; an _idol_ , a paradigm of hero. "Sasuke, give that bac-"

"-no," he shook his head closing his lean digits coated into his black leather combat gloves enclosed about the badge and, in one fluid motion of his wrist, without even turning his head to face the nearest dumpster, Uchiha hurled Neji's precious FBI badge straight into the narrow hole aiming perfectly; _too_ perfect even, his aim implacable, unrivaled.

"you are gravely mistaken if you measure _your_ values to _mine_ , foolishly thinking that simply being an FBI agent with your name recorded in their database it automatically propels you amidst the real FBI _agents_. You should _earn_ this first before wearing it publicly, proudly Hyuga."

 _All of you, without measuring your own abilities had no idea of mine_ , were Itachi`s parting words when he quit the FBI at the pinnacle of his own career and, soon after coincidentally or _not_ , his entire family has been assassinated in cold blood by criminal occult hands and FBI could do absolutely nothing to depict the assassins; they left no single trace, only a broken young child behind to mourn the grief of his family loss.

A kid who surpassed all the previous Uchiha in becoming an elite FBI agent, one so cold that grown-ups, his superiors, and colleagues backtracked in fear when his intimidating presence strolled along the halls.

All gossiping sputtering nonsense and absurdities about his mysterious present, but hardly anyone being stupid enough to confront him directly; like Danzo Shimura.

The best of the best, a professional that only crime and action novels depicted, smooth skills polished by laborious harsh training in FBI`s secret agents camps, someone born as a genius with sublime refined intuition worthy of being in such a prestigious organization, of vital importance, this was Uchiha Sasuke; unequalled by anyone of his generation, a prodigy second to none in combat, espionage and intellect.

Savvy beyond belief, conniving and having an unsurpassed intuition, a sixth sense for danger, merciless, cruel and phlegmatic, never allowing his _emotions_ to vanquish the sense of duty, always diligently conducting his missions, be it as a _leader_ of a platoon or an executant, always three steps ahead of his enemies, his brilliant mind ruminating and quickly concocting the outline of the perfect plan when facing a pinch, Sasuke was almost _too_ perfect to be true.

And thus he was _not_ ; far from being untouched by the flaw, in his desperate impulse to surmount all that immeasurable _pain_ that the murder of his clan left behind, scars ebbed into the pure heart of a child wilting and sagging before the implacable destiny bestowed upon him, Sasuke`s heart stopped feign emotions altogether.

And by that he meant _real_ sentiments, strong feelings of love, blithe by the prospect of having his beloved ones huddled together showering him with love, those luminous days of pure felicity surrounding by his mother, father and the friendly rivalry competition with his dear brother. They all perished in her limbs of the cruel darkness now shrouding his heart, encapsulating it into a _stone_ casket.

"Wha- what the _hell_ did you do bastard?!" Baffled moony orbs creased by bulking milky veins protruding along his temples now followed in horror how Sasuke humiliated him and gravely disrespected the symbol of their place of work, a nefarious gesture that normally shall have been punished for, even getting a week suspension from his duty by Tsunade or the other Directors; unreadable behavior in polarization to the respect that all the agents shall pay, dedication, faith and honesty Sasuke displayed.

But punishing _Uchiha_ Sasuke transgressed human imagination; his skills was something that FBI desperately needed because of absolutely no sane agent, no matter how prodigious he was, now committed to his duties and how valiant would be capable of taking _his_ place or even pose as competition.

And by now, everyone was already accustomed to his excessive zealous burst of capricious temper, occasionally because Uchiha usually exuded stoicism, being laconic and greedy with words, hardly responding, _reacting_ , letting anyone touches his earmark disimpassioned calmness, self-discipline at its paramount welling into his mind.

"Have you gone completely insane?" Long nights quivering in pure rage now clasped into a furious ball, his teeth gnashing together in unhinged desire to _pummel_ the raven-haired bastard of a best friend square into that pretentious strong jaw, his lush lips puckered into that supercilious smirk that Neji abhorred, in a vehement token of amusement and _defiance_. "What the fuck is wrong with you!"

"Tsk," He clicked on his tongue faking discontent at Neji`s sudden outburst and how his conniption flared now in the middle of the street with a plethora of FBI colleagues witnessing their moment of dispute.

"such a pitiful loss of cool from an FBI agent specializing in infiltration and espionage missions... you start to lose your touch Neji- _kun_ ,"

Mocking him further, Sasuke now played with his words _and_ Neji`s mind, amusement making his stomach clench and his angular jaw tighten at how terribly he tried to quell the need to titter maliciously at the perplexed Hyuga.

"you should work more on your subpar _skills_ rather than concerning your pretty head for _me_. If you have that much time to play the referee between Tsunade and I then go use your time _wiser_."

Clutching his bike tight and revving the engine once more as rich spirals of smoke encircled their forms, his parting words had Neji dash onwards to slit Uchiha`s throat. "What… is your main idea to kiss Danzo's ass for a _promotion_."

Now lavender orbs simmering in pure disgruntlement kindled by the salacious desire to beat the shit out of Uchiha, followed that unholy sign sewed on the back of his leather jacket, a mixture of skulls, guns, a tombstone and the scythe of the grim with his fist flittering as obscenities unrolled in fluid cadence from his lips, while Suigetsu had his arms coiled around his shoulders, the jerking motion of Neji`s zeal to castigate that Uchiha bastard combined with the momentum of Suigetsu hauling him on the opposite direction, resulted in a tragi-comical situation. "You self-centered motherfuck-"

"-What the fuck-" Both backpedaling hastily now losing balance and gaining momentum by teetering on their heels, they stumbling two steps backwards as Suigetsu tripped on his own feet and landed on his butt with Neji straddling his lap, his back squashing Suigetsu's chest, looking like two bowling pins.

And Sasuke ever so courtly throw them in a maze of smoke from is a clamorous annoying bike, now both having their cheeks blushing crimson red from how they touched form air. "I`m -cough- going to fucking -cough- _murder_ that cocky jerk with -cough- my bare hands!"

* * *

"Oh- no no no _no_!" Despair welled into his wide orbs quickly spurting onwards pressing on his heels, nearly tripping on his feet and stumbling in an acrobatic comical way while the garbage truck was already collecting the waste now the driver maneuvering the vehicle outside, smoothly, his peculiar tempered tone now thundering along the front alley, hands flailing and outstretching towards the dustcart like desperately struggling to reach Paradise as the holy image slipped  through his sprawled fingertips; the scene-stealing tears from the voyeur`s orbs. "Stop- _stop_ it! Don`t touch the dumpster aish- damn it! Come back!"

Like a heart-jerking scene of a romantic tragedy at its climax, Suigetsu had his amethyst orbs squeezed, his lips puckered as his face contorted by violent spasms of thunderous laughter, shimmying on his own two feet now teetering in his sashay towards an already revving Neji Hyuga, laughing his ass out loud with his arms folded around his midsection at the absurd incredibly comical situation.

"Quickly, don`t stay there laughing like a moron Hozuki!" Neji thundered already joggling and revving after the garbage truck, turning his head over his shoulder to snarl at his imbecile friend who looked like he would collapse into so much laughter hyperventilating any moment by now. "Help me get my badge back damn it or else you`ll be the next one I`m killing after Sasuke!"

It was already bad enough that the first glimpses of the dawn littered the place with rushed agents now huddled into the front adjacent alleys enjoying their mourning coffees now having the time of their lives, piping to the amusing scene, those damned rubberneckers laughing in unison with the stumbling Suigetsu.

"Hahahaha- dude slow the hell down -hahaha- we can intercept it at the first -mwhahahaha\- traffic light- hahaha!"

"My fucking badge is in there Suigetsu! I can't get past the security and get inside for fuck`s sake, so move your ass, nitwit!" hearing Hyuga Neji sputtering such vulgarities was absolutely priceless the image of Suigetsu still tittering with tears in his eyes easily catching up with his now _desperate_ and chaffed Hyuga comrade in his delirious joggle, leaping from one foot to another dashing after the garbage truck, adding to the comedy.

"I will personally _decapitate_ that loathsome Uchiha for this, I swear to Kami!" Neji kept on jabbing cursing lividly as he had to sift through the cars that kept on strolling align the alley obstructing his gallop after his object of interest, honking him as if he was a lunatic escaped from the gates of the Mental hospital, with Suigetsu still chortling like a goose at the top of his lungs being hot on his heels.

Not that he was not accustomed to Sasuke`s frothing, vengeful and sardonic Uchiha blood and his blistering outbursts, but Neji desperately needed his FBI badge back because declaring that he lost it into the dumpster was far too embarrassing; yes, Sasuke was his friend and Neji wrapped his mind around the concept that Sasuke unfurled earlier, acquiescing to him -reluctantly, but... he will still kill Sasuke, choke him off with his bare hands, chop off his balls and feed the sharks when he got his clutch on that arrogant bastard.

Like seriously, just _what_ type of moronic, demented and phycology friends he had? Suigetsu, Sasuke, Jirayia, Shikamaru... absolutely _no one_ was sane amidst their mismatched clique, damn it! "Slow down dude, my knee is still recovering damn it!"

Suigetsu hollered still spewing titters, brushing the simmering tears from the corners of his aquamarine eyes, now both him and Neji catching up with the truck.

"You lost your FBI badge into the garbage truck why?" Slowly pressing his tinted sunglasses back onto the bridge of his sculpted nose, Shino lectured unfailingly, calmly and berating them flippantly like a teacher addressing Elementary kids; his disimpassioned serious tone only added to the absurdity of that amusing scene. "because you are an _idiot_."

"Screw you Aburame!" Neji warded his sarcastic insult off, his lunar orbs glued maliciously to the garbage truck pressing his heels onto the concrete and measuring his steps when that goddamn vehicle stopped after it exited the front gate, pulling to a Stop, to make a perfect leap and grab onto the tailgate raise right after it discarded all the waste onto the gargantuan cargo box.

"That means he loves ya` buddy!" Suigetsu cackled with a crooked smirk waving to the absolutely standoffish tall agent, hollering to him heartedly his effervescent temper being lit and sunny on an August morning. "Now... don`t get so gloomy and smile wider, will ya`? No hot chick is going to come home with ya` tonight!"

Joining his Hyuga friend who now resembled Spider-Man when he first discovered his miraculous superpowers swinging as he remained suspended in the air before clutching onto the trunk, Suigetsu trying to hold on tight as the vehicle went around the curb, like in a veritable abduction missions.

"This is all your goddamn damn fault Neji!" Suigetsu berated him albeit admittedly he remarked that this shit was funny as hell, adrenaline jarring along his spine still having his cheeks inflated by how he stifled his laughter, meticulously his hands and legs synchronized smoothly climbing the ladder to get on the top of a garbage truck.

That was the image all the agents littering the front alleys of the HQ had when the car went on the main street, pointing, and laughing at the image.

"I`ll kill him," the man he kept on reiterating assured Suigetsu that what welled into the front of Neji's mind was a myriad of artistic way to _kill_ their excessive Uchiha friend, mumbling under his breath.

"I'll fucking shove all this waste onto his goddamn throat!" Bouncing over the tank like a veritable elegant FBI agent, gracefully making a perfect landing on the peak of the waste... teetering when the truck stopped on the red light and seesawing on the volatile garbage loading the truck, Neji careened dangerously until he lost balance and artistically lurched onwards with his palms dabbing something reeking, sticky and _warm_ and his nose landing

"Hey, we are heading to the Sharingan!" Suigetsu noted with a goofy, imbecile grin stretched from one ear to another, a peel of banana resting on the crown of his head, poking his head to glance earthwards beaming at whatever the heck he laughed, already blood frothing into Neji`s vessels.

"Imagine this –this garbage truck is our very own personal _limo_! You can thank Sasuke later for coming up with the brilliant idea of us to infiltrate into the Sharingan as two homeless vagabonds! I swear this is a poetic man! I feel like in the Disney Movie the _Aristocats_! Yuhuu- hello there world, _konnichi wa_ -"

"-keep it low you bloody imbecile!" Neji whacked Suigetsu`s crown of his head pressing his chuckling head down as the idiot would attract undesired attention from the druggies and dangerous delinquents littering this obscure godforsaken place, and that's the last thing they needed as FBI agents undercover.

"I`ll fucking kill both of you but I decided to start with _you_! Come here you blockhead!"

"Shut up and dig you shark-breath moron!"

Nails plunging into the piles of waste, noses crunched in disgust and orbs squeezed and rimmed by prickling tears, Neji and Suigetsu gauged for the badge, recognizing the garbage that the trunk collected from their building as something gleamed into the last remaining rays of sun peeping from behind the puffy clouds looming above the tall decrepit buildings. "Aha! There it is!"

"I can't believe you actually found it buddy," Suigetsu crunched in disgust leaning backward, his palms making a tent above his nostrils and mouth sputtering at his friend and imagining the horror of someone finding out about their jive; sometimes Sasuke`s curveballs were _too_ chaotic, messy and fickle. "good for ya`. Now we smell like rotten eggs, cheese and spoiled milk with a few sports socks. Perfect cover to infiltrate into the paradise of crime, the infamous _Sharingan_."

"...thanks for putting those images into my mind, shark-breath." Neji clipped as he used his handkerchief to meticulously brush his badge of the dirty not wanting to imagine just what stuck to it having a white-yellow shade and an astringent smell, glancing around peeping so as no one to notice them, immediately feeling a silver jarring along his spine the moment sun paled in lieu of a lush darkness and a dubious atmosphere.

He knew exactly the moment when the truck pulled out the side of the road that they entered the Sharingan the area of that loathsome place, crooked, malicious, welled like a plight into Neji's mind.

It was unmistakable that their stop has dauntingly finally come. "Move your ass," he 'curtly' addressed to his friend who laid casually perching atop the waste supine making himself comfortable on a pile of tattered pillows, blowing on the goose fur that sprinkled from it comically. "this is our stop."

"Really? Are we simply jumping from it and march on the streets without a plan? Where are we going and... or we even have a flat or something..."

Scowling at Neji's scrutinizing, determined stare, Suigetsu shivered and tittered bitterly joining Neji into sneaking around, inconspicuously and swiftly descending on the ladder and leaping off the trunk, glancing around at the occasional passerbyes, but shockingly enough, absolutely no one paid them any heed.

Of course, such image completed the perfect picture of a godforsaken place and beggars and trumps littered the alleys. "Don't tell me... they want us to find shelter somewhere... _here_."

Meaning that it was another mission where they had to sleep on parks, alleys, metro stations and albeit they go double payment for it, their backs and health left permanent damage. "well fuck me sideways I'm too sensitive for this..."

"Stop damn complaining and move." The Hyuga tucked on his forearm now hauling and dragging him on an unfamiliar street, trying his best not to scowl and sneak like a ballerina trying not to step on anything liquid, dubious or broken glass, nearly seeking when rats scurried from the holes into the blocks meandering towards the dumpsters. "Aish! God... I despise those disgusting creatures."

Discreetly trying his best to smother his snorts of pure amusement, Suigetsu placed a hand on his fluttering lips as both now tried to change their conniption and not appear dubious. "Now who's being presumptuous? C`mon, FBI doesn't pay us for idling and plucking daisies. Someone has to get the dirty and to the dirty jobs."

"And why are we the ones to do that when Sasuke gladly volunteered? Damn I would ask a double or triple payment for working in _this_ type of environment, seriously,"

Neji scoffed glaring right back at some junkies who smirked at them in such a wrong, crooked manner because backing away and shrieking or sagging in front of the criminals would automatically led to them being surrounded and beaten up or shot to dead; modesty and humbleness here was as good as a bullet to the brain.

"we pay the taxes for nothing apparently. Society does absolutely _nothing_ for these people," he commented randomly while falling into steps with Suigetsu crossing the street randomly on a less illuminated street where bulbs only flickered and mosquitoes loomed above trying to get to the _light_. "I kind of feel a iota of sympathy for them."

And for a good reason; the same as Sasuke felt pity in somehow gullible that these people suffered while no one cared, Neji too acquiesced to the same sentiments. "Why don't you establish your residence here then? So you can make a difference; or at least, volunteer for community service."

"I`m already here with a purposeful _task_ , idiot." He hissed though his gnashing teeth, slipping his hands in his loose pockets –he felt idiotic and moronic swathed like that.

"Now pay attention to all the sharks; this tank is already littered and overflowing." He felt all orbs on them, mapping them with malicious vehemence.

"I would have hated to be a resident here in my high school or college days. These guys are pretty intimidating."

"Don't tell me you are scared?" Suigetsu challenged actually fitting in better than the prim Hyuga; his sartorial choices and conniption all screamed that he wasn't part of the slums, no matter how good his skills were. Even when his shoulders were proud, straight traipsing with attitude attracted actions.

"Chill dude and don't be so stiff, otherwise you are in for a good beating. Man- if you keep this stuck up pole in your ass we are going to get pummeled in the face."

Then he grinned mischievously as his canine gleamed into the already sinking, tangerine and claret red sun while they have just passed an already troublesome looking gang; they immediately stepped back when seeing _that_ look on Suigetsu. "Not that I would mind though... my street lighting needs polishing."

"Now whose drawing unnecessarily attention?"

"It`s not getting flashy, idiot. It`s surviving tactic; in places like this, appearing as the nerd and the newbie of the school is a winning ticket for a good welcome beating in the back of the yard after school. Try and act more... gangsta or at least have more swagger and be less formal. Damn, how in the world did you fit in with those junkies last time-"

"-oi, lower your volume idiot," Neji careened to his loose friend how obviously enjoyed the fear he succeeded to inflict in the residents, whispering harshly in his ears, words full of threat and venom.

"Danzo`s underlings litter this place. I can even _smell_ them as their keen eyes burn the back of my neck. These fuckers... he already did his first move."

"What`s that supposed to mean?"

"He already started tailing Haruno and his associates and this is interfering with our mission. Look, they are subtly controlling the streets, making themselves a reputation." Which was mandatory to get close to such a hermetic society like Haruno`s clique.

Now pointing to said fellows who Suigetsu and Hyuga recognized by a familiar pattern so peculiar to all the Root members or ex-Foundation trainees -the porcelain, frozen smiles and expressionless miens- they distinctive hawk and empty but simmering orbs following, tracing, mapping them as they flippantly passed them by and the peculiar dark sartorial choices, with black robes, combat boots, ripped jeans and skins carved with sinister tribal tattoos and motives from dark religions. "Great… just what we fucking needed; competition."

"They know it is _our_ territory," Neji commended as they now strolled leisurely along the streets, getting suspicious and snarling stared and whispers -or random intimidating comments- but neither approached them… yet.

"And yet… Danzo _still_ forces his luck and send in his own agents to meddle with our affairs; he does this purposely of course. He wants us to crack first or, if Sasuke`s intuition is correct, _approach_ Haruno and propose a truce."

"You think that old fart would go _that_ far? Man, he has balls, I give him that. One doesn't simply carelessly approach _the_ Haruno Kizashi without a coin to trade. And what can he possibly offer to Haruno?"

The answer came so obviously from Neji`s lips as they circumspectly passed the street where call girls overflowing and flaunted their ;gifts; in their direction suggestively, the lascivious grotesque looming in the air disturbing Neji to the point he felt like throwing up in the middle of the filthy street.

"the FBI`s cooperation, certainly, what else? That bastard has the face of a traitor and definitely is capable of doing it; morally and literarily."

"Sasuke has a huge grudge against Danzo... for reasons obvious and yet _less_ obvious," A mystery that no one deciphered, not even the young Uchiha himself.

But his hatred towards Shimura went deep into the core, ramming into the boy`s heart from when he was a child. Something about Danzo made Sasuke rise even without rational reason. "what if Danzo targets Sasuke too?"

"We are here to prevent it from happening and, Sasuke, as much of a permit bastard, stupid he is not. He is always cautious - _too_ cautious. He won't get into such a trap unless necessary."

"What does 'unless necessarily' means in _your_ erratic limited vocabulary Suigetsu?"

"That dude is either under strict orders of Baa-chan or is voluntarily looking for danger," Because Kami only knew that Uchiha had a penchant for _dark_ malicious things, troublesome or completely deviant probably fueling his zeal for entertainment.

"Sometimes, I want to believe that he is plainly crazy and not simply masochistic and careless with his life."

"He is not dude, he is just flaunting his skills to get a daily dosage of ego burst, but that`s all that is to it,"

Neji shrugged flippantly albeit his innards contorted and his heart throbbed in his chest in a slow, eerie cadence; he could literarily taste fear and pain molded into every pavement on the streets and every brick of the decrepit blocks.

"Uchiha _is_ cautious and definitely not as blasé as he wants us to believe. It`s just an act. I would become a damn skilled actor if I lived _here_... what is the smell?" Neji scrunched his high sculpted nose as they navigated along the streets, trying to look as casual as possible albeit the others` eyes burned on their nape.

"Watcha` think?" Suigetsu grinned at him playfully taking out a combat knife and playing with it, whirling it expertly in the air successfully chasing out some drunken idiots who stumbled their way looking for trouble; they basically reeked of _newbies_ from miles away.

"We are close to the sewers, dumpsters, and brothels where the crack is sold. You take your choice."

"I think I`ll puke. Damn..." swallowing the guilt in his chest churning like million simmering coals, Neji knew that Sasuke didn't deserve robe here; in this darkness, in this lost paradise. And now his earlier parting words made sense. This was utmost absurd!

"This place," Neji blubbed catching Suigetsu's attention, the silver-haired man who dangled casually against the wall of the night market now glimmered at the suddenly edgy Hyuga in a moment of being poetic and observant. "Has a dark vibe about it that I cannot depicts but..."

"But what?"

"It _drowns_ you, this darkness," His cryptic epistles, the cornered tone ins his voice made Suigetsu cock his head on the side, discombobulated and addled by such an enigmatic remark coming from one of the top-notch agents in the FBI but at the same time...

"like it wants to crawl into your chest and swallow you from inside out, devouring you with no escape..."

"What the fuck are you babbling about?"

Rapidly understanding that the _Sharingan_ was not only the symbol of decadence, urban decadence, the slum of the society huddled in this godforsaken place to struggle in hallucinated poverty, where pride has been left lingering into the threshold and only demons lurked around danger breathing at their nape made Neji`s hair stand erect behind his ears and arms, his skin prickling in alertness; to _get out of there quickly_ before it consumed them.

Sharing with the others was a way of life here. "How can Uchiha live in here beats my general understanding."

It felt cruel even for Neji who was trained into the traditional Japanese lifestyle in the core of the Hyuga family, discipline and fortitude domineering their culture, but even so... accepting this type of mission voluntarily, casually like a masochist seeking for a justification of his toxic pleasurable those inflicted by the _others_ made no sense to him; he couldn't wrap his mind about the concept.

Suigetsu didn't catch the depth of the insightful Hyuga`s epistles, nor did he notice the same peculiar atmosphere looming above their heads, but what he did notice was how sharks and piranha's stares shot them at breakneck speed so before they knew, already a ferocious looking gang encircled them now sprinkled everywhere that they could reach, discreetly dabbing Hyuga`s hip bone.

"Dude, he`s Batman undercover can`t ya see? The role of the heroes in the _shadows_ , the outlaw who does people justice is just his damn style. He has mental issues, everyone knows and yet we are still his best buddies; so chill man. The night is only at the beginning..."

Still entrapped into the unexplainable energy of that decrepit ghost town, the vandalized blocks with peeling walls shrouded in graffiti and modern art with symbolic strong messages about rejection, racism, violence and love trapped into a sublime meaningful sentence, the angular oblong and rectangular holes for windows without frames and curtains revealing immeasurable _darkness_ , no life seemed to penetrate through the tall buildings, the sinister spurts of smoke oozing from the sewers intoxicating the air with that putrid typical stench that made innards contort and churn in disgust, how time seemed to stop ticking here keeping the tortured souls in a continuous loophole to mend their broken spirits, loitering aimlessly with no direction, no sense of living or point in life.

The air felt humid, torpid but cold, steel and merciless, impossible to swallow, to breathe, cocking, suffocating seemingly hostile and peregrine, more like trying to _swallow_ the life pumped through this heart and lungs rather than _sustain_ life.

Rejection whacked him square into his face, a punch in his gut when kids with the most pathetic figures littered the streets, looking just as helpless, tattered clothes rags dangling from their much rail-thin frames, stained cheeks covered in ashen dust and dirt barely the porcelain oily skins of this _fallen angel_ gleaming under the first light of the flickering poles, their big orbs confused, the inexperience little minds, not capable to digest, to reprehend their pitiful situation, their purpose there and Neji did either.

"No… it`s more than _just_ playing the tough, disimpassioned guy," Neji explained as he could basically taste the lackluster, listless atmosphere of their raven-haired friend; now strolling casually but keenly paying attention to their surroundings, Neji felt it on his skin that all the renegades would find solace in such a nefarious place.

"it`s like he doesn't even care enough anymore." To live, to have a dream, to get out of his comfort zone -which became his job.

Meticulously, diligently he completed any task flawlessly, smoothly with nonchalance and easiness that stirred envy, admiration, and jealousy.

But when it came to doing something for his _soul_ , Sasuke simply submerged into the slums of the society and barely acknowledged the ones who cared for him anymore, or he was simply _that_ disinterested in anything?

"Man, this place is freaking depressing." Suigetsu too noted people here looked so mirthless in that lugubrious, forlorn environment; little people with melancholic, miserable and depressing faces passed them by like they were wraiths or smoke. Heads dipped down under the weight of their problems and struggle, hands down their pockets or dragging equally glum, dejected and listless children by their little hands, no one had time to stop for a moment and contemplate, all engulfed in their own problems.

People weren't polite or kind to each other; they easily lost their temper as they lived cramped in that tenebrous, eerie neighborhood.

So very different from the city of Konoha. They didn't greet each other, only grunted or snarled whenever someone stepped into their own personal, gloomy bubble.

The most heart-jerking, unsettling laments and moans made Suigetsu`s heart sink. "it almost encourages one to slit their wrists." No wonder the suicide rate was so abnormally high in the Sharingan.

"Perfect place for all the crimes to take place in the _shadows_ and no one to be concerned about it. Not even the authorities."

Neji, on the other hand, started to pick up the tension in the air, thick, lush like the taste of blood as _sharks_ started to depict the savory taste of fresh meat; glanced and weary, inquisitive scoffing glares were sent their way but he flippantly ignored them.

"I heard that the Police _rarely_ ventures in here. It`s even more convenient since it is connected to the harbor. Can you even imagine the rate of crimes that happen in here?"

"Well- now that _we_ are unofficial residents… I think we are going to find out very soon buddy."

"Who are _those_ people?" Prudently, refraining from any excessive gestures that might betray where was he looking at, Neji pointed to a clique of tall, seemingly disheveled men and one particularly stoic woman converting and leaning against the wall beside a fruits shop, some smoking format their cigarettes lazily, some glancing around like mapping and scouting the area... looking for something.

"I think I've seen them before; they look pretty familiar but I can't wrap my mind around it..."

Suigetsu too glanced in the same direction as his goofy figure gave nothing away from what was he thinking about. Having pretty docile and placated features for someone so ruthless, sadistic and sinister as Suigetsu, he easily fitted in the undercover mission where he had to play the 'good guy'. "Hm? Who?"

Subtly changing their sojourn to a parallel street right across and coming to read beside a cherry blossom tree where a big, dirty and furry stray dog slept soundly, Neji scoffed inwardly smacking his head for not being capable to remember something that the bells in his savvy mind deemed as utmost importance.

"Why are they so _relaxed_ in such a hostile environment? This is the type of place where basically one has to sleep with an eye wide open and yet they..."

"Could it be another group of agents undercover possibly?"

"Perhaps, but... shouldn't we know them if so?" Neji smartly pinpointed trying his best to glance without attracting their attention, but paranoia could only get one this far; they had to be agents while still looking discreet and oafs -so that the tugs in the hood would perceive them as arrogant, inimical and challenging.

"They have something peculiar that screams _familiar_ but I don't think I can put my finger on it..."

"They look like those dudes dealing with alien cases; which meant completely crack nuts and someone we have been advised to _avoid_ at any costs... do you think that Sharingan is infested with aliens?"

"Why are you stupid Suigetsu? Stop pouring gasoline on the fire, this place is already making me nervous and jiggery. C`mon, let`s not loiter too much in the nearby area. I don't want to get them on our backs. I pretty bad that we basically scream 'newbies' from miles away and-"

* * *

"- _hello there handsome_ ," Has it been any other person in Suigetsu and Neji's place, they would have jumped out of their skin at the sound of that lurid and sultry tone, but not them; simply turning their heads into the direction of the scalding whisper, the two agents came face to face to a pair of the most frolicsome pair of eyes of a unique blue pastel hydrangea flower and the most luscious, sensual plush lips twisting the imagination and playing flirtatiously with the mind, a hand strategically placed upon the curve of her shapely hip. "What`s an eye candy like you doing here _alone_ and unattended, hmmm?"

It took both Neji and Suigetsu a furtive moment to comprehend _who_ was she referring to from the two, but then they came to realize that the obvious street girl was talking to no one in particular, as an open invitation.

 _What was her name again_? Because Sasuke has filled their profile in detail and handed their files to the FBI, but who could bother to memorize all those scantily names attached to very peculiar faces?

What they didn't know was that Ino was highly perceptive, receptive, insidious and savvy this she realized that those two wanderers -desirable and irresistibly _sexy_ newbies- might hide something underneath the seemingly messily veneering; they were too good in blending in to be just newbies, even gangsters.

 _Too folksy and blasé to be just regular delinquents or criminals trying to find a place to fit in._ Mapping her with a hawk orb shimmering into his peculiar shade of ivory pearl from head to toe taking in the ostentatious sartorial choices -which gained a scowl from the handsome Hyuga in return- Neji grunted as he looked right back into those baby blue orbs, shocked by the amount of forlornness and despondency that nested inside. "Why is this of your concern-"

"-yo," Suigetsu spontaneously interspersed leisurely greeting the buoyant blonde with a small gesture of his fingers pointed to his right temple, stopping Neji`s too polite rant; inwardly he rolled his orbs in exasperation because no matter how much of a skilled agent this man was, he still remained an aristocrat.

"who's the pretty lady who`s asking?" he sprinkled as much sultriness as he could in that crooked smirk as Ino`s orbs peeled form the standoffish, lithe Hyuga to the sharky looking man beside.

"Ino," She dauntlessly turned to Suigetsu and let a red manicured digit glissade along his strong chest, between his plush pectorals as her hypnotic orbs, narrowed as they were rimmed by dark mascara and gold dust making her look like an Egyptian cat, a dangerous, seductive feline, her voice barely going louder than a sultry whisper.

"but rumors say that I am a vixen in disguise; so careful what you wish for _Destiny_ might have something very _bad_ in store for you."

before Neji would react to the taboo choice of words, Suigetsu wrapped his lean digits around her wrist stopping her coltish digits from heading south to the belt of his loose pants and whispered to her as he cocked his head on the side, a naughty look now etched on his face. "A pleasure _Ino_ ,"

He basically made her name tremble low on a bass tonality from his lips as Neji rolled this orbs in exasperation, seeing the woman`s steamy smirk widen at his obviously coquettish attitude, exasperated that they had to step so low for a mission and hook up whores in a deprived neighborhood.

And he knew that Suigetsu particularly used to sleep with women for information -and even _enjoyed_ it! "a word of advice though,"

Briskly as Ino didn't even registered what happened, he spun her like performing an artful Tango pirouette as her back hit his sinewy chest, a hand steadily wrapped around her waist as he breathed against the shell of her ear; she froze as thinking that he might do something indecent or grope her but he surprised her.

"before trying to work magic on us, be careful not to become enchanted yourself first."

And let her go as she nearly stumbled on her ten-inch heels, breathless as her thoughts scampered in the front of her mind, mumbling a short, vulgar insult as both the men flippantly turned around, smacked back at her and traipsed along the street, in the direction of the park.

"What the fuck!" She stomped on the pavement crisscrossing her hands upon her voluptuous bust now as the cleavage became obvious pushing her breasts front as they barely fit into the tight, leather purple corset.

"What`s wrong with all the hot dudes nowadays?!" She wondered din annoyance seeing how some of her fellow colleagues who paraded on the alley like in a cheap promenade, waiting for zealous clients, snickered and tittered at how she has been rejected by the two hotties. "they lack any sexual drive! I swear to Kami..."

First Sasuke Uchiha who was basically inaccessible and then those two... Ino heaved a sigh as she racked a hand through her lustrous golden hair that she let loose from the distinct ponytail for this night especially and returned to her designed spot, dejected and feeling very unlucky.

If she had to sell her body like this for money to endure the abuse of both her clients and her 'Boss' -who kept a circumspect eye on his girls, a leather whip in his right hand ready to cut in their sensitive skin or any transgression- at least Ino hoped to have attractive clients once in a while. "Huh?"

Trying to ignore Asuma in her nonchalant, sultry and appealing stroll along the dimly illuminated back alley, Ino glanced at what Neji and Suigetsu have been glancing before stumbling upon her. " _Who_ are those people?"

The long sleek, black leather coats garbing their tall, lissome forms as they seemed to be so out of place but at the same time having an aura of complete arrogance and dominance about them made her take a double look; outsiders.

 _But who?_ She, just like the rest of the inhabitant's into the Sharingan has heard rumors floating about the upcoming of a very prominent figure in the world of crimes, but she could only guess to what extent it would affect the _business._

Nonetheless, when two intimidating males in dark blue, half unbuttoned shirts with rolled up sleeves and suit pants with black polished matching shoes -like conveying a clear message- grabbed three of her 'colleagues' as they didn't even have time to bat their eyelashes seductively at them and hauled them into a black Mercedes parked outside Asuma`s bar... she knew that things were about to change dramatically into the Sharingan.

And not in a good way either. She decided to pay attention scurried to a safer place behind the barber`s shop just in case those strangers got more ideas.

Unknowingly to her, they had nothing to do with the people that Neji and Suigetsu observed closely just moments ago.

* * *

.

.

.

* * *

Neji and Suigetsu arrived into the Sharingan and they already stumbled, tripped and looked like oafs asking, _begging_ for a good beating from the regular thugs.

 _Just what the hell is Tsunade-baa-chan thinking?_ Sasuke kept on scowling and grimacing being in a grouchy mood having a sudden thirst to beat the hell out of something out of pure crotchet in the spur of the moment, without any particular reason.

Clicking on his tongue as he nimbly lifted a cigarette taking a long, nervous drag from it briskly fine-combing his hand through his bedraggled ebon locks as he passed some junkies dealing marijuana on a back alley, flippantly like he wasn't in the bit feeling threatened or intimidated -and he did not because they immediately became warily as his lithe shadow spanned on their feet briskly- he thought about their safety.

Neji and Suigetsu were top notch agents, yes, but they weren't fit to blend in _this_ type of place and he wasn't referring to the fact that they didn't have the skills, the competency, and the attitude no.

He meant the psychological scars left afterward; no one beside Sasuke was capable to take on _this_ mission, to make a real living here thus leaking information that no one else could gather from here.

It took _more_ than just a competent, devoted FBI agent to infiltrate into the Sharingan; it took someone who wasn't afraid to sell his soul to the Devil, to drugs and crimes.

Someone whose hands were already soaked in blood, someone who understood the language people 'talked' in here, someone who rejoiced, who related to them, who had the same rhythm, the same heartbeat.

Someone who understood them completely, one of them, part of that world of people who have been marginalized, discriminated, alienated, antagonists of the fairytale world living _on_ the outskirts of the Sharingan.

And that was Uchiha and not Neji or Suigetsu. This was not the regular infiltration mission undercover on enemy territory, no. It was a way of _life_.

It was either they were truly part of it or not. And those people he has just passed by... they pretended to be casually smoking and coursing between criminals when in reality they were taking discreet photographs with mini cameras hidden in their clothes and tinged, pilot glasses and keeping a close eye on a small tools store, notorious in the hood for being a place where marijuana and cannabis were sold illegally into the Sharingan.

 _Agents_ , he quickly surmised bitterly caustic as he gnashed his teeth together, maxillaries clenched in pure vexation in pique trying to depict who had the nerve to send agents on _his_ territory.

Tsunade-baa-chan must be immediately informed of the matter because Sasuke had a very unpleasant hunch about who those fools worked for.

And he didn't like it in the bit. The mere name of _that_ old decrepit made his innards churn in disgust, so as he even felt the sourness on his tongue; he snarled in exasperation making some kids that played soccer on the street scuttle scampering each and every direction in sheer fear.

Because when Uchiha Sasuke looked _that_ way having a thundercloud looming menacingly over his tall, athletic form, people knew better than to mess with him in that state. Like a shark feeling the helpless prey traipsing his territory, the thirst for blood was lush and overflowing in such a bloodcurdling way peeling in shimmering waves from the aura he exuded.

He was royally _pissed off_ and thus in for the kill. Some dude has just bumped on him as his head hung low and his hands deep in his pocket obviously high out of his mind -the bloodshot injected glazed orbs were a solid proof of that- but the glare he took from the lone Uchiha was enough to make even him teeter on his stumbling feet dashing the hell out of his way, nearly tripping on the stairs of a shop they just passed by.

Fumbling with his phone as the screen was broken in half -didn't bother to change it as long as it still worked decently- he was just about to call Tsunade and throw a tantrum at her as in why hasn't he been informed of the presence of other idiot agents in the neighborhood when something luscious, pearl white and roaring in his proximity made him stop dead in his tracks.

"What the actual fuck-" The headlights of a long, Rolls Royce vehicle made everyone nearby stop and drool, gasp and whisper as it parked casually just across the street like it was a normal sight into such a jaundiced place.

Lowering his phone down slowly as he slipped it back into his loose pocket discreetly, refraining from making any exaggerated moves, Sasuke briskly backpedalled until his slender back padded against the wall, slipping his hand into his pockets and peeping to the scene in a more discreet, subtle fashion -unlike the idiots who stopped their cars or bikes like nitwits, gasping and ogling the luxurious car -he knew _exactly_ who arrived, he didn't need any confirmation.

"Hn. So the spectacle is going to be more amusing than I thought..." He mumbled to himself smirking as he continued to casually, wholeheartedly enjoy his cigar -the smoke burnt the annoying figments churning from the back of his memory, a place he would rather erase completely- and watching in pure entertainment how the scene before him as played.

This is the moment he has been waiting for but in reality, it vanquished any anticipation. Sasuke didn't delude himself into thinking that Haruno Kizashi would parade in his opulent vehicle down the street and publicly announce that he arrived into the town to conquer the black markets, _no_.

But he didn't actually think that he would be meeting her so soon. Nonetheless, the sight that welcomed his incessant obsidian orbs now peeping through the locks of sable hair spilling on his cheeks from under the hoodie that he dragged on his head, made his lips that puckered around the slim cigar split into a crook smirk.

 _Well well well... the Queen is finally here, huh? Impress me… Haruno Sakura_ , he mentally challenged as soon as a polished, neat and stern chauffer quickly came about the car to hold the door open for someone to step outside.

The first thing that welcomed him was a shapely leg followed by a heel planted firmly into the ground slowly enhancing the effect of someone new revealing herself for the first time for the gaping audience to see and back away for this was someone important.

Because when her slim high heel skidded from her father s white limo, he thought that she was the prosopopeia of an angel trapped in a decadent Paradise. But the white gloves she wore to doll her hands up were smeared with blood and her lips soaked in poison. He knew it because he was ordered to taste her and use her to destroy her Mob family.

Nipping on his lower lips, now all sorts of figments welled into the front of his mind, childing images that made him ashamed of himself tucked on his upper lip as it curved into a crooked smirk. Leaning against the wall concealed into the shadows that offered him protection, silent witnesses and companions faithful he watched her sashay as the personification of the world she represented; opulence, arrogance, and power.

Limitless power that stomped over dead bodies, smiles that killed, this jive he called life huddled into the palm of _her_ stained hands, fine but soaked in lie, in manipulation in the world that her father painted for her, this hypnotic, nightmarish lie, only deception, only that taste of Paradise as it tried to steal the colors of the real deal and be more than a cheap imitation.

" _Queen_ Haruno Sakura... _Sakura_..." Her name unfurled from his lips as he rolled it out of his wicked tongue, sinful desired simmered through his vessels as he followed how she peeped around, her superior attitude, the luxurious clothes dolling her up, the intangible aura.

A cigar played into the corners of his lips as he pressed on them inevitably obsidian orbs traipsed languishing to _her_ mouth seeing as she sputtered something to her much taller companion with purple hair and intimidating brazen attitude; another renegade, probably a friend, maybe a guardian, someone part of this absurd net, both gossiping.

Visage serious, devoid of any obvious expressions of disgust, of discontent, of admiration, of greediness, Sakura Haruno was far from a model like beauty; she was by no means an eye candy, someone to turn heads in her direction, a stunning divine woman.

Sasuke expected her to be a tad more stereotypical, but she breached a breach in the cliché and that was the detail that made unhinged _desires_ flung to his blood.

She was not astoundingly beautiful, flawless, someone to twist his in and that was where the danger lies.

Sakura... Kizashi's daughter had _something_ particular about her that made her outstanding, she broke from the stereotypes, there was just a prim allurement about her, maybe it lied in her captivating eyes, hypnotic, feline, predatory, she stood on the swell of _control_ dominating, possessive with a hint of ravenous in them, beautiful, mesmerizing even, too big, too cautious, too... interested in what she saw, intrigued, sending vibes of a challenge.

Or maybe in the aura ta was pure _angelic_ peeling of her in ripples, soft fluttering wings of a butterfly.

That distinguished hair, the peculiar shade that gleamed strawberry-blonde in the last figments of the sun, the pink-ish reflection made his thoughts soar, poetic, captivating, tempting.

He thought of cherry blossoms in bloom, _virgin_ untouched wanting to be unwound, to be depicted, discovered. She looked _nothing_ like the image of her in the picture.

She had feats painted in the colors of spring, the pastel palette of ineffable, of maidenhood, so young, so desirable swinging with a paradigm of coquettish angelic purity.

So contrasting to who she was; Sasuke had some intel about this woman, and, albeit from being soaked in luxuries, Daddy's girl, she also didn't backpedaled for stating her hands in blood.

Rumors had it that occasionally _this_ woman with the most avant-garde looks, an exotic cocktail of tropical fruits, beaches paradisiac that hypnotized his mind, a fine smoke of magnetic desire pierced his nostrils as he watched her mildly interested, occasionally did her Daddy's _dirty_ work.

Those fine hands that patted her companion's shoulder so elegant, manicured in French nail polish, details embroidered n her to give the aura of a royalty knew how to handle a gun, how to pull the trigger unfailingly.

Her simple figure was athletic shrouded in those simple but sophisticated clothes; lush fabrics that molded on her subtle curves, enhancing her legs as she looked taller and sophisticated, but confident in her grace.

Seeing her sanguine sashay strolling on the road without glancing right from left with her bodyguards now entering a local club probably that her daddy needed for his future _business_ , Sasuke could observe this woman.

Realizing that her confidence exuding in such abundance didn't come from her lineage, but from her internal strength; this is why her title was _Queen_ Sakura.

Sasuke understood that Sakura Haruno _had the_ attitude to back the title up; she moved like a Queen, she acted like one and she knew how to manipulate everything in her favor.

Her charm, the occasional smiles, not forced but not flirtatious or sugary either betrayed shimmering savvy orbs, intelligence, maybe conniving, mischievous, scheming... challenging for someone like Uchiha Sasuke.

Shocking himself to the core with such truths brimming on his mind, Sasuke found himself _not_ disgusted by Sakura like first predicted.

He had no problem getting _personal_ with this woman. He didn't believe in the epiphany that most had with romance, he rejected stereotypes of beauty, he didn't believe in fake unrealistic model-like seductive women.

Sakura had a beauty that no one had, particular, radiating, captivating. Not stunning, not surreal but very tangible, _on his reach_. Charming, cute, yes she was and definitely, Kizashi's girl wasn't an ugly woman.

She had flaws, her facial features, her body far from being a Goddess, a swimwear model but she _was_ beautiful nonetheless. Something in his heart swelled and panged fleetingly when his orbs made contact.

It was about _that_ moment unconscious reflects betrayed the most intimate thoughts; something happened to his heart, something that he hasn't felt in ages, even forgetting how it was. Now fi the emotion swayed between extremes, Sasuke didn't know but he brushed it off momentarily as his attention directed to who accompanied her.

Neat guys in suits, professional looking, straight and suffering, serious and stern into the regular junkies. "Why is Haruno parading his daughter on the streets of the Sharingan I wonder _if_..."

Cocking his head to the sides now his obsidian orbs peeled from his target glancing around, seeing unfamiliar faces sprinkled around _not_ in the bit randomly. They could shoot perfectly from any angle.

"To make a point or... _advertise_? Scout for potential _successors_ presume... or," Amused obsidian orbs kindled like a pyre in pure unexplainable  thrill as he now flickered his hawk gaze to the other woman elegantly sliding off the same limo, acting like she and Haruno Sakura were best friends or sisters; judging from their light chatter and solar kinesics now _both_ scouting their surroundings like depicting the greatest amusement park for the first time.

"eliminate the competition." His genius mind concluded now as his slightly narrowed brow creased deeper when a third person skidded outside.

In all his arrogant splendor, this man could almost pass as his blood brother in physical appearance –albeit not that strikingly aristocratic and breathtakingly handsome, and definitely never in a conniption. "And here comes my _rival_ from her hand and _heart_ ," He sputtered sarcastically now leaning flippantly against a side wall in the vicinity of a grocery store, conveniently seeing everything he needed to say without attracting any attention.

"is this Buffon the next in line for the Mob Empire? How incredibly pathetic... No wonder that _Daddy_ Kizashi is desperate for a successor."

Nipping on a cigar that he just aimed to lit feeling its content sting his rough lips, Uchiha couldn't help but titter manically, sheer adrenaline overflowing through his vessels, making his Uchiha blood simmer at the prospect of playing with these buffoons and harlots.

It has been a while since anything sparked his interest or made him interested and intrigued, because watching Haruno Sakura make a small conversation with the lavender-haired woman with incredible amber orbs, her facial mimics, her nonchalant gestures and how incredibly innocent she looked with her pure _white_ gloves and long sleek lamb leather coat, so very prototypical and evoking fear as people would take a double look at how intimidating the three looked.

And… completely not blending into the picture, never merging with the slums and the sinister sounds of a grotesque horror circus molded into the walls of the blocks and the cracked pavement of the darken alleys; their flashy appearance intrigued and confused Sasuke slightly knowing that they should have stayed low instead of parading on the streets of this dangerous neighborhood.

he wasn't close enough to hear what they were conversing about, but judging from the completely expressionless facial gestures of the taller and obviously older lavender haired woman and that dubious awkward brunette male with the expressivity of a mentally deranged mime and the thin smile of a gothic clown in a thriller movie scaring kids, they seemed to be scoffing at how decrepit the Sharingan was.

 _Well duh, what would you expect, a fucking five stars luxurious resort?_ Uchiha was half-way tempted to follow their asses with his bike and see where Haruno decided to place the golden age for this nightingale, to decided again seeing a fleeting move on the corner of his keen eye molding into the shadows, on the opposite side of the streets; hiding behind a pile of dumpsters and pretending to be _smooth_.

 _'Who the fuck is out of their goddamn minds to target Haruno Kizashi`s daughter in the open street, the first time she puts her fancy foot in the Sharingan?'_ sadly, his attention has been diverted from the group as they leisurely started to stroll... right in _his_ direction, with the two women with dark branded clothes ravishingly molding on their curves and the idiot traipsing with his hands crossed behind him like a butler, seemingly keeping a polite distance, but Sasuke quickly depicted two revolvers poking from his leather belt.

' _Heh, cautious aren't we?'_

* * *

Not because he was being idiot enough to reveal them, but because, as a Fed himself, Sasuke recognized the subtle lump under his dark short jacket.

Blatantly, the trio looked like emerging from Matrix or some movie with secret Governmental agents hiding aliens into a secret base in the middle of nowhere.

The tinted glasses perching on the bridges of their high sculpted noses perfectly completed the masterpiece appearance of the ones that successfully caught the attention of every single eye in the area; which were like a _lot_.

They didn't battle a single eyelash as people murmured, whispered but wisely backed way off as they crossed the street into caring about the speeding cars or bikes doing sharp dangerous moves to avoid a collision, all stopping at a short distance to glance backwards; clearly they were newcomers with a strong background to give them this chauvinistic annoying air of confidence.

It was arrogance, it was to deliver a message; that no one touched what was his and now Haruno claimed the _Sharingan_. Judging from his frazzled clothes, the threadbare rags that swathed his lithe form adhering to his slender physique in a manner that hid every evidence of how sculpted and fit his body was cleverly, now sucking on his hoodie and dragging it on his head, successfully concealing his face as the rebellious raven locks obstructed the view of his pale skin and the cigar dangling on his fingers, no one paid him any heed as they bypassed him in a blur.

He just had to casually glance earthward like a junkie trapped into his own world as the nice, warm and friendly grocery cashier, an elder with three nephews, an abusive alcoholic husband and too many debts to pay in a lifetime gave him a funny glance and the trip a nasty glare; nonetheless, they faded into the background and paled in comparison to the power and opulence that these people emitted.

One would look at Haruno`s associates like the _sun_. Aspirational and stirring envy and jealousy, Sasuke concluded that the pack of macho strolling in all their ridiculous gangster fashion walking with such a swagger that nearly made the Uchiha snort approaching them and getting into the shop right after, nudging one another read plotting something stupid, were definitely complete _nitwits_.

Of course, the gangsters and criminals in the Sharingan felt protective and extremely possessive about their territory but they should know better than to try and engage them in a fight or start a confrontation.

The chauffeur of the limo didn't even move as he stood straight and proud with his hands crossed over his chest, waiting for Haruno Sakura and her henchmen to... do whatever the fuck they had to do a non-stop shop in the Sharingan.

But the raven-haired idiot accompanying the woman as he walked past Uchiha without acknowledging his presence -he was garbed entirely in black molding into the penumbras of the twilight perfectly, like a true master in espionage and camouflage techniques, made something into the back of Sasuke's astute mind sparkle.

For one moment... Sasuke glanced back to the tall and lissome man as he was the last one to walk past the sliding doors.

He couldn't explain the sensation, but he could swear that he has seen this idiot before. _But where_?

Cleary not from the files and pictures that the FBI Archives had and Tsunade handed to him, oh- no.

He knew this person from somewhere else, less evident and a little illicit but he couldn't remember for dear life. It seemed to be a suppressed or a forgotten long memory that suddenly churned into his mind.

The bulb in his mind flickered once but it was gone in an instant before he could grasp it.

Clearly, they never met face to face, but somehow... he had the picture of this unforgettable ghostly face imprinted into his flawless memory. How could he do not remember where did he see him from?

 _Sai_... it was the only name attached to the picture from Sakura`s file; officially, he was her fiancé and future spouse.

But unofficially, he was merely a wannabe, a stranger popping up from practically nowhere, without a background, an identity or even a surname.

Tsunade concluded that he was one of Haruno`s 'trainee' kids, raised and educated in the spirit of Mafia to become one of the successors -since Haruno only had one _daughter_.

 _'Gotta keep a close eye on this serial killer psychopath future husband or ask Shikamaru for help to get into the most secret files from the FBI`s databases.'_

And ironically or not, he knew exactly who might have access to all the information, albeit illegally -Shimura Danzo, the world's number one rat and double-crosser.

His guts, his inexorable intuition screamed at him that Danzo was involved into this mess, but knowing how Haruno Family operated, it would come as no wonder if they already had Konoha under their umbrella; that was also how he maintained balance within his Empire and kept his subordinates subdued.

 _"C`mon babe, don't be so feisty, I just want to be friends,"_ A lecherous idiot`s coquettish voice interrupted Sasuke`s thoughts as he quickly paid for one ripen succulent tomato and casually strolled into the shop stumbling on a very awkward, amusing and totally cliché scene. "Sure you don`t mind someone to cool you off since you seem to be rather _hot_."

The idiot who Sasuke recognized to be _Abumi Zaku_ from the insufferable and absolutely despicable _Sound_ gang belonging to the notorious number one drugs master and weird ass concoctions for induced pleasure, Orochimaru; flirting with Sakura Haruno.

 _Oh for the love of God, the idiot was soo asking for it-_

"-I almost can predict how this shit is going to end," Blinking as he turned his head over his shoulder, Sasuke scowled at the idiot that now leaned on _his_ shoulder casually, one hand wrapped around his shoulders, the other nonchalantly holding his slim joint, as spirals of lazy smoke puffed from his chapped lips, bloodshot orbs laughing hysterically filled with amusement. "that moron is going to get his ass whooped by the new hot chick in the town."

Sometimes, Kiba could be surprisingly wise, abut his rare moment of unrequited wisdom has been overshadowed by the blinding and breathtaking maze of smoke looming over his head as Sasuke slapped his hand away, growling darkly but softly so as not to attract any attention.

"You`re invading my private space. Fuck off idiot." He rasped venomously now noticing that everyone in the shop, both elders and youngsters have stopped picking up their desired products and now glanced at the cash register where the three strangers were being 'greeted' by one of the most dangerous criminals around.

Sasuke merely considered them spineless oafs trading illegal shit in and out of the Sharingan, scaring kids and single mothers or cardiac elders and stray dogs, but they were pretty notorious for fancying torture on their opponents; their major rival gang was Killer Bee and his brother A`s clique of drug dealers, both in serious competition over the market.

"Dude, what`s gotten into ya`? Got a bad day, huh? I see," Kiba sputtered absentmindedly almost like he couldn't even focus at how high of his mind was; Sasuke _barely_ smothered the desired to punch the living daylights out of him and then drag his ass to the closest Rehab center.

"So you too have one of _those_ days, huh? Nice. Mature. Wow... who are the newbies in town? Man, those are two really hot women! Is that idiot your twin? He looks equally constipated and- oi! Give that back-"

"-stop fuckin` smoking in public places," Sasuke casually stepped on his weed not wanting the intoxicated, high addict to start the fire alarms and stir any more attention.

That idiot Sai already glanced behind his shoulder and Sasuke had to crouch down pretending to grab a... box of _condoms_. _Just great, he already filled into that category -of the most deprived of the neighborhood._

Unbeatable infiltration skills or what... In his mind, he could already hear Tsunade and his friend laugh like no tomorrow. "goddamn idiot."

"Why would _ya`_ need those for, huh?" Of course the Kiba, being the resourceful man he was, immediately lighted another joining as it rolled the paper as he placed the weed, with his sickening lighter with the head of a white furry dog on it, leaning against the shelves, glancing between Uchiha and the cash register lady who wisely dashed the hell out of the upcoming jive.

"Are you actually _do_ having sex with _real_ women? Oh- hahaha, and here I thought that you were so fucking gay with the other blond-haired bastard-"

It was now when Sasuke slammed his hand on that babbling cretin`s mouth as Kiba dropped his cigarette and hauled him behind some tall boxes containing shampoos and soaps, orbs narrowed to slits; the warning look his obsidian orbs produced sufficiently in silencing the intoxicated man with dog features.

Because no one in their right mind would argue with Sasuke when they were being hit by _that_ peculiar look.

One that promised a worse outcome than death itself. "Would you be so kind to step aside so that we can pay for our drinks and let the other customers order?"

That was Sakura`s voice as Sasuke noticed how easily and nonchalantly she added so much credibility to her nightingale tune, a feminine voice almost too perfect to belong to the one of a Boss` daughter; trying to be polite.

"Surely such a chivalrous _gentleman_ wouldn't want to waste these people`s precious time now, would you?" She tried to forewarn him about a bloody outcome, but as usual, Zaku and his now smirking peers didn't take the hint.

 _Oh man, this is so going to end up bad, I just feel it!_ Heck, even someone as out of his mind like Kiba could predict it, but then again clashes, spontaneous street fights, and deaths were so common in the Sharingan that people didn't make a tragedy out of it anymore; those were daily occurrences, absolutely normal and stale that hardly anyone paid any attention.

The pattern was the same, people either resumed their business pretending not to notice or scurried out of that place so as not to become victims.

Sasuke loathed this type of complacency him being among the few ones who actively reacted by trying to quench the brouhaha, but in this case... he couldn't risk to expose himself excessively.

He had plenty of experience. An FBI with his reputation and skill had a knack for these things and now his hand unwittingly lowered under the hem of his hoodie where his gun was hidden, discreetly, subtly so as not to catch the eye of the trio.

Because everyone in the Sharingan wore a weapon on them, thus it wasn't such a big deal to cause a fuss over. "Na-ah,"

Dosu, an ex-convict sentenced to 12 years in prison for drug possession, rape and prostitution now stepped aside in all his spectacular glory, with his members and half of his contorted face badged up to conceal some of the more severe scars and burn marks from his prison days, smirks dot the lady mapping her from head to toe, unabashedly.

"I will definitely make it all worth _it_ if you chose to accompany me to the club tonight; the nightlife into the Sharingan is just fitted for someone as _lit_ as you, babe."

The woman beside Sakura didn't even move from her spot now as she was serenely glancing over the pack of 5 men compelled in front of the cash register, while the other 20 were outside perched on their bikes or leaning against their cars, waiting for their Leader and his most trusted men to come out of the shop; safeguarding him and backing him up, all bloodthirsty and honing their knifes or checking on their weapons inflicting fear into the passerbyes who immediately changed the direction or dashed on the other side of the road, not wanting to cross paths with them.

"Is there a party tonight at the club that _we_ shall know about?" Sakura`s interest piqued as Sasuke's brain immediately absorbed the information like a sponge; Kiba still leaning on him, half dozing and half listening while occasionally pinching his right cheek, grinning and mumbling something intelligible in his ear; that high idiot...

"sounds exciting. What do you say Konan-chan? Sai?" She turned to her companions as a plan immediately concocted into Uchiha`s brain, mentally smirking.

There goes his ticket to properly and formally introduce himself to the beautiful lady in town and make her fall head over heels for him. _'Hn._ _That`s just perfect! Sakura-chan… you're simply making my work_ too _easy darling.'_

"...sounds good to me." The woman with the purple hair Konan shrugged indifferently and her absolute crabbed expression on her face even stunned Sasuke.

Normally, _he_ was the unreadable one but seeing his female counterpart not reacting how Zaku`s clown friends slowly littered the shop encircling Sai, Sakura, and Konan, was marvelous. "yeah, will do. We can use some fun while we are getting _familiar_ with this place."

Sai only stared blandly as if he was absolutely absent and his mind loomed somewhere far _far_ away from that place; not moving a single inch when Dosu tittered as he approached the man, unabashedly hauling his French barrette perched on his head and placed it back to mock him; there was just something absolutely bloodcurdling about this character called _Sai_ and the way his orbs didn't even move to acknowledge the presence of now two molesters who kept on playfully slapping his nape as his short raven bristles of hair fluttered, that Sasuke could place.

But it was terribly _familiar_ for a reason that snuck along his spine and rushed to his toes as they curled into his tattered combat boots while watching that scene alongside a condescended Kiba Inuzuka -the high of continuing to laugh uncontrollably at the scene. "Aw, that's so _kawaii_ ,"

Feeling in one of his macho fists, Zaku adjusted the low collar of his half unbuttoned shirt as his gargantuan shiny golden and silver chains dangled around his muscled neck now boldly closing in to a rooted in place Haruno Sakura, an elbow dabbing on the counter, leaning on it with ridiculous nonchalance, while the other hand skimmed on his knuckles, as she too had one hand placed flippantly on the counter, lust exuding through all his pores as he tried to flirt the captivating lady.

"it would be too unfortunate to leave such hot babes unattained and wandering into such a dangerous place, right guys?"

* * *

Turning about to wink at his horde of idiotic friends, they all cursed smirking with their gold teeth in a perverted, recycled and overused stereotypical grimace, crooked, impish stares being hurtled towards Konan and Sakura.

Sai was now being turned into a human dummy as Dosu and one of his friends with a missing eye and tattoos littering his muscled body from head to toe tossed him like a ping pong ball, just like high school gangsters would bully the school`s number one nerd.

"How about we show you around? The fun doesn't start until 24:00 a.m. and it would be too bad to waste the chance to get _cozy_ with such... marvelous ladies like you. You can also ditch that useless fag over there to one of the dumpsters for a change; God what a moron…" He spoke about Sai using words close enough that Sasuke was mumbling in his mind –though less friendly.

winking suggestively as he shuffled closer to Sakura subtly -or what _he_ considered to be discreet- run his hand form her nee up her flute shapely thigh that molded sexily into the dark leather slim fit pants, aiming to boldly cup the soft flesh between her legs with his thumb and index digit when she spoke, calmly, serenely completely not flinching, _darkly_ in such a sweet lethal voice that Sasuke swore that Zaku the almighty drug dealer froze in horror.

"I would advise you... to kindly stop touching my body and step aside, otherwise... is going to rain _blood_."

It wasn't the imminent promise of implementing the thing that fleetingly made Sasuke`s chest tuck with an unfamiliar pain, nor the suddenly thick tensed silence that cast around the shop as everyone froze, except for Sai -who was being tossed from one person to another- and her friend Konan.

But the moment when Sakura _smiled_ … oh- when those lips, fleshy, pulpy and juicy like ripe strawberries, glossed so lightly and deliciously tucked upwards in such an elfin full smile, has Uchiha`s inexorable heart _stopped_ pumping.

Then it revved a million miles per hour, thudding into his now deaf eardrums as blood jarred through his system like a supernova going at the speed of light.

"What? You`re fuckin` joking right?" Zetsu actually stared at the lady who was at last two heads shorter than him and much petite like she grew a pair of horns; laughing as his gang burst out in raucous, obstreperous chortles some even holding their tummies crouching with tears in their eyes.

"Are you telling _me_ what to do? Babe, I am afraid that you don't know who the fuck you`re talking to!"

"How about your enlighten this little _lamb_ who the wolf of the pack is Zetsu?" One of the few females of the gang, Kin Tsuchi stepped aside as she was being busy French kissing one of her boyfriends for the night, a Japanese honed _kunai_ being while in her expert hands a sly smirk slithering on her roughed lips; sensing an upcoming bloody fight or a gang rape rising, the pack became thrilled and excited.

It was moments like this when Sasuke felt his pulse speed up in pure disgust and rage, actually _barely_ holding back from until his loose hoodie and jump in to pulverize those motherfuckers; albeit Zetsu and his gang were strong, skilled, dangerous, bloodthirsty and notorious... without bragging, they were absolutely _no_ match for Uchiha.

But he didn't need to because Haruno Sakura was not your cliché beautiful Damsel in distress. "Challenge accepted,"

Now wrapping her elegant, white gloved digits around his wrist as he stopped near her groin, Sakura applied so much pressure that sent a jarring burning along his limb, tucking and twisting it until Zetsu growled in pain, stopping and laughing like an idiot and sagged nearly dropping on his knee in front of her as she spoke lightly, cheerfully and mirthfully, in such a wrong, deliciously sensual way.

"but don`t come back to me crying or putting the blame on me. "ah," she sighed seemingly in disappointment as something suffered a complete vicissitude deep inside of her, Konan and Sai's conniptions.

"what a shameful disappointment it proved to be. I have only arrived here and already my opinion about this place is... that is full of pansies, women molesters, abusers, and _weaklings_."

The way she literally spat the last word triggered something horribly familiar into Sasuke`s conscious, dropping into a place where his mind was smeared by the bloody night of his clan`s murder, them being a mirrored echo of what the assassin of his precious family sputtered before they bathed into their own claret vital liquid leaking from their dead bodies. _'No… it can't be—'_

And the atmosphere about her suffered a complete vicissitude now unraveling _who_ this girl really was, still unruffled, serene as a soft morning breeze in a mild July, but being completely capable of twisting the hand of a bulky gangster with two combat knives dangling on his loose belt girding his Jeans, low on his hips, and nearly make the bones pop in various places as he shrieked in agony. "Pathetic."

Sakura spat before the inevitable happened and Sasuke found himself staring almost in _awe_ as Sakura smoothly pivoted on her high heel like a lethal assessing ballerina with wicked intentions and thrust her slim five inch heel accurately into Zaku`s kneecap successfully making him drop to his knees and crouch on the floras she broke his leg, his shout of agony impaling their hearing. "AHHH! Fucking bloody B-BITCH-"

She didn't even grant him the time to insult her for, dropping down to collect his writhing form from the floor, Sakura tucked on the front of his shirt and, unveiling a short warrior battle scream like a veritable amazon in the Greek legends, hauled him from the floor and, swiveling on her heels, she literarily tossed his body in the air like he weighed a zilch and hurtled him like a rag doll over the cash register as he landed ungracefully with much effect on the shelves containing energy drinks, scattering all the cans as they rolled along the floor.

Dabbing her hands so as to emphasize that the man was _faith_ as it smeared her delicate hands enough to disturb her, sighing and checking on her precious cashmere and wool gloves to spot any stains or dirt. "-no _babe_ don`t curse a lady, is such a turn- _off_."

She chided him using his words as the most evident mockery while his friend fume and seethed after coming down from their stupor; all watching as a small woman looking like an exotic pink flamingo made a fool of their leader, humiliating him.

"Holly motherfuking shit," Kiba actually murmured into Sasuke's ear as he leaned over his tensed shoulder seemingly recovering from his height; that or the shock knocked him conscious again, orbs wide as saucers albeit bloodshot and blinking rapidly.

"that was some weird ass shit. Whoever those new fuckers in town are... they are bad news, I`m telling ya` now bro,"

He decreed and instantly, Sasuke laughed humorlessly; Kiba was high, an addict, or as a rat, but not stupid. "Am I still high? Are _you_ also high?"

He sniffed as he smelled Sasuke`s hair -for some stupid reason, Uchiha`s cheap shampoo smelled like weed and he loved it.

Grunting low in his baritone chest, Sasuke decided not to step in -yet- but shoved the idiot off his persona as Kiba stumbled two steps backwards landing on his butt the cement felt cool for his high raging pulse thus he lied supine on his tummy and pretended to be swimming, laughing silently completely high and watching the scene unfolding; rarely someone picked on druggies like Kiba, because they lived in a parallel universe. They were no fun to bully for anyone.

* * *

"You... you are going to pay dearly for this, you stupid crack whor-" It was instantaneous. If he blinked, Sasuke knew he would have lost it. because Sakura had an annoying habit of being too rushed, too zealous -like some blonde doe he knew- and spontaneously, leisurely like she did that on daily basis, she whirled a _gun_ around her index finger as she took it from the side pocket of her leather jacket and... shoot.

Trice. To the random idiot who dared to _insult_ her, managing a flawless monumentally perfect head, throat and heart shoot. In less than two fucking seconds!

And then crown, minus her completely undeserving, calm and laconic friends, gasped audibly, including every single one of Zaku`s stupefied dumb friends, including the idiot who limped on his feet dragging his ass about the corner intending to use his friends a shield and order them to attack and defend their territory.

"-you guys have some _really_ lame insults around here, not to mention a complete lack of basic manners. Seriously, is tiring to rape young ladies all that the gangsters in _this_ place can think of?"

Noticing that Sakura used no insulator foul language to depict the Sharingan, Sasuke glimmered once, slightly a frown creased his concealed handsome features, unwittingly dabbing his own gun concealed into the back of his pocket.

"Aren`t you going to do something, dude?" a mumble to him questioningly as Sasuke briefly wondered if he should intervene.

He told easily sneak outside the shop and pretend not to care. He wasn't stupid enough to think that among Sai, Konan, and Haruno Sakura, none of them saw him in the shop. Running away would just attract more attention.

Then, like some sort of occult telepathy, the Sai mute flickered a pair of orbs almost into the same shade as Uchiha`s glancing at Kiba and him; but Sasuke was smarter and his camouflage made him appear as one of the regular junkies.

In fact, Sai even crunched his nose ever so slightly, it being the first and only facial kinesics smearing his blank expression, mistaking Sasuke for a druggie on crack trying to shoplift.

Arrogance and superiority depicted Sasuke Uchiha as being two of his dominant character traits, but he knew when to sag his proud shoulders, cursed, glance earthwards seemingly in fear and shame and appear as _weak_ , mellow and submissive like any ordinary social reject populating the Sharingan; enough not to pose as a threat to those people. Succeeding.

Shaking his head once slowly, Sai return his attention to Sakura, his arms crisscrossed upon his chest, not even moving a single inch to help his fiancé; not that she needed to.

Because Sakura proved to be perfectly capable of handling her own business, in fact, no woman that Sasuke has ever encountered looked fiercer and more terrifying _beautiful_ and sexy than Haruno`s daughter. "I have 30 bullets available and ready to be discharged,"

She hummed eerily lightly, chirruping as she smiled, _smiled_ one enticing beam that illuminated her pristine features making her look so angelic, so ravishingly ineffable as she tilts her head pointing her gun onwards and moving it slowly, deliberately towards the foreheads of every single one of Zaku`s friends. "so… who wants to be next?"

"We are wasting time here," Konan blinked once addressing her roseate friend casually as she yawned stretching her limbs above her head, glancing at her Rolexwristwatch, then back to her friend.

"your Father expects us for dinner. We shall hurry otherwise your idea of clubbing tonight will be thrown to the window."

"I know Konan- _chan_ , I know. Just give me a minute, I want this person to get one clear message," She turned to them beaming one last time before she unleashed Hell addressing Zaku`s gang.

"That when Haruno _Sakura_ gets in the town... _losers_ and oafs drop to their knees and scream!"

Then she shoots, discharging all the bullets in their foreheads, chests, shoulders, spines as they literarily jumped on the exit, blocking each other's only way out; killing more than a dozen of them as the others tried to either retaliate taking off their own guns or leash toward the girl.

But her friends backed her up immediately not a single muscle being pulled from their faces; in the end, only 6 of them including their injured, limping and hollering in pain, agony, frustration and chafe Zaku managed to dash outside and stay alive.

And all happened in less than ten minutes, suddenly the shop emptying remaining barren of any life, except for Sakura`s group, Sasuke, and Kiba who calmly posed as silent voyeurs.

"And to think that I had to go through all this drama for a box of tampons," She explained smirking softly as she dabbed the ring bell now planning for the cashier lady as she pouted comically, shrugging indifferently.

"well then, I shall navigate through the shelves and find it myself. I guess I should leave the money on the counter."

"You scared the cashier lady first time you revealed your gun," Sai commented as Sakura and Konan now swiveled on their heels and started strolling around the shop in search of the products for women.

Sasuke and Kiba still haven't moved from the place, both being courted by different emotions. "your temperamental side reveals a long time accumulated sexual tension; typical for a healthy woman in her twenties."

Kiba started to twitter again as his vision now blurred and sparkles shot under his eyelids, drooling and sniffing his hands like a dog as Sakura frowned viciously at Sai.

Sasuke listened calmly in mild disbelief at the dynamics of these people who stood up in any crowd.

"Oi- Sai! Stop randomly sputter such nonsensical assumption about me s _hannaro_!" Said pale skinny man didn't flinch at her vernacular outburst as the group strolled... in Sasuke and Kiba`s direction.

"Why hiding it if it`s true? The book I`m currently studying about human emotions and interactions suggest that erratic behavior is due to social anxiety or low self-esteem, added to the abnormally high levels of sexual hormones-"

"-stop. quoting things from _that_ book Sai or else…" Casually stopping few steps away from where Sasuke leaned casually against one of the shelves as Kiba crawled at his feet sniffing his both like a dog -clearly living the peak of his drugs- she pointed the gun toward her fiancé, acting like she couldn't give a single them if she shoots him right on the spot, _smiling_ serenely to him, albeit something dangerous, bloodthirsty and malicious gleamed into the depths of the most mesmerizing shade of emerald.

"I`m turning your ingénue pantomimic ass into a sieve. What are you, a marital sex counselor? Stop damn acting like a mad pantomimist on crack, it wards people off. See, that`s why we cannot expand our entourage thus it has been reduced to just the three of us," she pointed around the group as she traipsed towards Sasuke, scanning the shelves and hunting down for... oh shit, pads and woman products were right _behind_ him.

How in the world did he end up leaning over a shelf littered with pads, tampons and intimate gels? Sasuke mentally cringed at his stupidity, but karma, after and destiny always found the best way to mock the people, reminding them exactly _who_ was still the puppet master of the show.

"-it would be just awesome to befriend other people and expand our group so as to have even more fun, but seeing what type of spineless goons and brothers populate the Sharingan- oh! There they were! Damn, I had the impression that this shop is bigger than it was _hehe_!"

Actually leaping from one feet to another like a giddy kid, Sakura closed into to where two random junkies looking dudes swathed in tattered clothes hanging awkwardly on their bodies -one actually looking like an escapee from the Mental Ward crawling like a snake around the slender feet of a man dressed in black rags- she paid them no heed as she crouched down, studying the products before picking up one.

"Which one you recommended, Konan-chan? I need something subtle, and very _very_ discreet for tonight. Something to go with my short leather mini-skirt."

"Why would such a thing matter?" Sai retorted as he too joined his avant-garde looking fiancé, his expressionless mien being even creepier considering _what_ they were casually conversing about; women`s periods.

And pads. God damn it, Sasuke`s temples were pounding but he actually stood rooted in place because he knew that running for dear life would appear as a cowardly act, or worse, inconspicuous. And Kiba dangled off his feet now running his hands along his calves -like wanting to hump him- chewing on his shoes and loose laces like they were spaghetti.

Goddamn high _cretin_... which one he yenned to kill the most, Sasuke wouldn't know. But Kiba and Sai would look incredibly enticing with two fucking bullets shot right thou their empty skulls.

"Oh hey ehm- would you possibly mind stepping aside so that I can take a better look? Not that I would mind, but I guess you aren`t interested in women products are you?" Glancing down to meet her eyes, Sasuke realized that _the_ Haruno Sakura -his target, his mission, the woman he was supposed to _sauce_ for information- has just addressed him.

 _Smiling_ at him albeit it was the same type of smile that cost Zaku more than half of his people and one leg.

' _Well… our first encounter has definitely started in a promising way…'_

* * *

.

.

.

* * *

 **Author`s Note:**

Thank you!


	3. When there was Paradise

— _CHAPTER 3—_ _ **When there was Paradise  
**_

* * *

Dangerous, malicious, venomous, undecipherable but oozing of so much devious intent that any other person would have crawled in fear, back away or outside, drop to his knees and plead for mercy.

Sasuke on the other hand merely flinched, not moving an inch, now as he leisurely too with his hands shoved deep into his loose pockets, head facing onwards. Like he didn't even hear her; Kiba stopped sniffing and drooled like a veritable dog.

Konan and Sai both stopped as Sai started to awkwardly read the ingredients on one of the box of condoms, commenting on how harmful they were and how modern studies shown that they could tear during intercourse, cause severe skin conditions, allergies and remain stuck into the vagina, while Konan just stared at the two messy guys, not even noticing their presence the first time they entered the shop.

Of course, they were far more discreet than Zaku and his clique but... she couldn't help frown ever so slightly, not at the obviously mentally deranged or high -or both- dog boy, but at the one entirely garbed in black.

What caught her attention wasn't the way he was obviously _ignoring_ Sakura -which was also mind-blowing since basically, every head turned at the roseate- but his general atmosphere.

Konan wasn't stupid. She was Sakura`s best friend since diapers, raised and polished and educated into the spirit of a Mafia Family; thus she had a knack for _sensing_ people and read their souls. But not _this_ man.

Something about the aura he was projecting, the vibes peeling from his seemingly disheveled person seemed off, bizarre, odd.

Like he was _hiding_ something and it wasn't just the obvious -dealing drugs or being a delinquent, no.

This man... obviously not older than them with only a few strands of raven locks obstructing his already concealed face, spilling from under his low hoodie, was no ordinary man.

He seemed _dangerous_ in ways that Konan couldn't describe; but even to someone as undeserving as her, this man sent cold shivers brimming along her spine for a reason.

He was casual, _too_ fucking casual as his stance was completely relaxed, unfailingly playing with a cigar that he held between his lean long digits debating whether to light it up or not; probably mindful of the fire alarms.

Which only strengthened her earlier surmise -that he was at least more intelligent and calculated than the earlier clowns.

Wasn't he affected or scared or impressed by Sakura`s earlier display? Yes, these type of occurrences were common -so sadly pervasive in the Sharingan- and Kizashi gave them all the trivia about their new 'home', but even so... he seemed to have a lot of life experience for someone so young.

Sakura too now straightened her spine, a pack of pads in her right hand and a bag of quinoa gluten-free chips in her other now tilting her head at the silent man, looking comically at him with a very incessant expression on her face.

Probably curious and wondering about the same thing; why into he world was that man silent as a grave and rude enough not to step aside and let a lady search for goods?

"Oi, would you mind? I am trying to find something. Wouldn't you be at least considerate and respectful towards the other customers? I get it that this is a foreign _territory_ and veritable gangsters feel their ego swell in response to protecting their territory as the _Alfa_ , but honestly... no need to be rude, ok?"

She tried to approach him politely using the same sugary coated tone, but Sasuke didn't even budge; nor did the nitwit acting like his personal _pet_.

"I was talking to you man, acknowledge me damn it!" She leaned forward ever so slightly noticing that he was annoying tall in comparison -even taller than Zaku, completely ignoring her with talent.

"Don't take it the wrong way but are you possibly deaf, mute or mentally retarded?" Of course, that one would just ask something so stupid, but they all knew she was mocking him hard.

Still, not getting any sort of _reaction_ which was Sasuke's exact plan. He depicted her temper first hand, flawlessly, of course.

His intuition remained unparalleled as he guessed her character completely, immediately formulating a counter strategy.

For someone so excessively zealous, flamboyant and energetic as this colorful nightingale, _ignoring_ her was the best saber.

 _Not_ acknowledging her, like she previously put it, unwittingly and stupidly letting her major flaw unfurl from her kissable lips, gratuitously.

 _what a fool_ , Sasuke inwardly smirked trying his best not to let it show on his standoffish face; so that she could actually take a glimpse of it as it was entirely covered by his long unruffled ebony locks and his hoodie.

"Sai, do you possibly have a twin in the Sharingan and failed to let me know firsthand? I think that he can pass as your doppelganger only... he seems a little bit taller.

And has less fashion sense than you; of course, not that I actually fancy _your_ sartorial choices," she joked lightly teasing his too effeminate style. "but... he is equally 'vocal' or so it seems." She noted sarcastically as Sasuke still remained silent.

Tilting her head on the side as she boldly traipsed towards the said character, she placed her fists down her hips and smirked, mapping him upside down as Konan and Sai simply stared, a bland expression painting their faces; inwardly, however, they could only picture how Sakura is going to whack this junkie idiot or beat him to a bloody pulp, just for the sake of it.

Sakura Haruno, contrary to her reputation wasn't a sadistic bitch; she didn't fancy violence nor did she killed or bullied people for fun or because she had a penchant for sadistic stuff. But this time, something about the raven-haired male seemed odd, ticking her off for some reason.

By all means, her now half of a smile gleaming on her glossy pulpy lips was anything _but_ innocent. She started to get chaffed, his attitude successfully passing her off.

And a vexed Sakura promised impalement because, in both the underground world and the public society, the _Haruno_ name meant fame and recognition. Haruno Kizashi owned an Empire, listed as one of the 100 richest men alive.

They were hardly ignored, being almost on par with royalties. And now a Turd with apparently suicide mission decides to tease her nonetheless.

That guy was either high out of his mind or simply looking for trouble. But... something about him intrigued Sakura as much as it rubbed her the wrong way.

Confused as well, Konan decided not to intervene when Sakura body outstretched her hand and tucked on the guy`s loose sleeve, murmuring as she stifled her giggles; probably imagining that she played in a thriller movie.

Sakura was always so energetic, so flamboyant and always lively, cheerful and playful with her volcanic solar energy.

"Hey dude," she whispered to him. "you are not some creepy serial killer with an ax or a chainsaw hidden under his shirt with a mission to bloody murder the citizens of the Sharingan, right? Oh man, I`ve seen countless movies like that, they are fuckin` _inspirational_!" She started to titter lightly, giggling like a school girl in front of her crush.

Inwardly, something kindled in pure annoyance at this guy`s absolute lack of reaction whatsoever.

Even Sai had moments when he scowled at her or simply _moved_ or showed that he didn't want to be bothered.

But this guy simply continued to glance onwards ignoring her as he flippantly played with that damned cigar fumbling with it as it passed between his fingers; she noticed that the dude wore leather gloves covering half of his digits and he had quite beautiful hands.

 _Wait for what? what a stupid thought, stupid Sakura, stupid, stupid!_ She berated herself for that moment of... summoning such weird ass thoughts into her mind.

Why would she care about a guy`s hands? They were like... ordinary hands belonging to a man! What the flying fuck?!

"Oi, are you really retarded or play the tough guy? Want to end up like those scurrying rats?" She started to get pissed off, now shaking his sleeve more violently, until he didn't even budge.

Sasuke knew what he was doing and he was doing it artfully. Barely preventing a raucous laughter, inwardly he threw his head backward and laughed hysterically, like a madman.

So far, he got Sakura where he wanted. Immediately realizing that this woman wasn't like all the rest, he had to think of the best approach.

Sakura Haruno would never settle with a boring, hackneyed man. She wanted a challenge, a game, someone to intrigue her, to excite her and leave her constantly guessing.

Someone who was stronger than her in both mind and body. Sai was definitely _not_ one of them and now Sasuke understood Haruno`s secret desperate search; he most likely planned to dispose on Sai as soon as Sakura found a worthy fiancé to succeed her father.

Because that ridiculous stuck up, emotionally and socially retarded sociopath was a _failure_.

He couldn't give this spitfire girl what she wanted, what she needed and even guess what she didn't know she wanted.

Oh yeah, for the first time in forever Sasuke felt something flicker into his bell excitingly; the taste of pure adrenaline and zeal pervaded his mouth –the acerbic, bittersweet taste of triumph- the impetuous challenge on the tip of his tongue.

 _Haruno Sakura... I`m going to be that fire you need to make you burn until you scorch_ , he inwardly nodded proud at the wickedest thoughts, naughty, graphics, descriptive and so much like Jiraiya's stupid fantasies churned into the front of his mind.

He felt the hype of the challenge that Sakura posed. He misunderstood her from the picture and her file, she was not a stale, bland, stereotypical Mafia Boss daughter, no. She was strong, valiant, independent, terribly controlling, dominating and never the demure Cinderella.

And then there was her beauty; it wasn't typically stunning, gorgeous by the media or society`s standards.

It swayed between innocent and aristocratic in such a unique, exotic way. Sasuke found her painfully _beautiful_ , albeit she wasn't of an inevitable beauty.

Definitely, there were plenty of other women that turned heads just because of their look one of them was Konan, a natural, divine beauty.

But Sakura was _more_ than just a young girl with average beauty. She had something quintessential about her, something peculiar, unique and avant-garde, something dynamic that changed continuously, surprising, shockingly seductive about her buoyancy, her beauty was so _alive_ , energetic, vivacious, coltish and kittenish in ways Sasuke could limn. But definitely, she stood out before anything.

Those eyes... irises of a sprightly intensity bore into his skull demanding attention, recognition.

This girl wasn't docile, submissive and mellow. She liked control, her father was the mastermind, the puppet master and she demanded the same from everyone else.

Her nature made her a modern warrior capable of surviving on the streets, in a patriarchal society.

Those hands were accustomed to hold guns and sabers, instead of lip-glosses, perfumes, rouges, and clothes. "Aish seriously now... just move over okay? I don`t want to _force_ you to... or do I?"

She winked suggestively at him, Sasuke could see it in the reflection of the window glass, noticing that Sakura too glanced on her side; briefly, their eyes were supposed to meet into the mirror, but he was shrouded by his hair and the hoodie.

Her emerald pools the other hand gleamed maliciously and Sasuke could almost see her _true_ color in the reflection, a cold imperative judge screaming her real demonic nature.

By all the Heavens above, he never felt his blood pump through his veins with such fervor as a visceral desire to pin her hands above her head, rip off that killer breathtakingly sexy clothes off her athletic body and _fuck_ her hard right on this floor.

In front of her porcelain gothic horror doll of a best friend and her inept future spouse. Her stunning eyes of a precious shade of sparkling _jade_ gemstone encrusted into her irises, sprinkled with subtle reflexes of _aureate_ gleamed mischievously, a pure nefarious hysteria welling into their depths; promising permanent impalement and depriving of certain body parts.

Sasuke almost snorted at how intense her murderous aura felt as she certainly wanted nothing more than to _just_ pummel him or shoot him in the ass for how he _dared_ to ignore her; the almighty Sakura _'Queen'_ Haruno.

Oh- he didn't have enough fucks to give about _who_ she really thought she was or who her criminal father was.

He was almost curious whether she would fall for a pretty face, but he knew he couldn't jeopardize his identity in such a clumsy, thus he winged with his initial approach.

Making her go _crazy_ for him; either in annoyance or lust, both worked.

"Geez Sakura, just leave that moron alone will you?" Sai simply commented feeling bored out of his mind as his thin lips stretched into a vicious yawn, glancing towards his expensive wristwatch; knowing that Haruno Kizashi as expecting them for dinner. "Let's go. We have caused enough furor for today."

"Just kill them if you must, but do it in silence. Already people littered the front street now heading towards _here_. We don't want to cause many troubles on our first day. It will not be beneficent for our purpose—"

"—Oh, will you two just shut the fuck up already?!" She snarled at both of them narrowing her orbs warningly as looking through the window and around to shop as Sasuke, Kiba, Sai, and Konan did the same, noticing how another gang —more numerous and intimidating than Zaku`s just barged into the shop.

"Fucking great, another round of _street rats_ interrupting my fun." Because something about the expressionless statue-man intrigued her more than she could believe herself.

 _Something about him feels... attractive_ , in ways that she couldn't begin to decipher. But her _chest_ , a place that only thudded when she came back victorious from a fight or her father praised her for a good handled 'job' thudded or tucked warmly, pleasantly.

Albeit, _this_ particular emotion seemed to be connected to a tight ball pooling into the pits of her abdomen fleetingly jarring south and huddling between her legs, teasing her inner walls with short pulses.

* * *

Oh dear God, she couldn't be _that_ mentally deranged to feel _aroused_ because of a... homeless junkie, right? _no... this is something else than lust or desire, but what?_

Not having enough time to delve into the matter, Sakura whipped her head backward shoving that bizarre figment into the back of her mind as she focused on how the front doors slid to accommodate a throng of bulky idiots casually strolling inside like original gangsters; growling.

"What the fuck is going on here, where is my fucking money and... why the flying _fuck_ are these fuckards cramping my style? Are the fuck you, idiots, looking at huh? Bloody motherfuckers..."

 _Hidan_ couldn't have picked a better opportunity to make a complete fool out of himself, Sasuke literarily rolled his obsidian orbs feeling that this moment was opportune to get the hell out of there.

Because of Sakura Haruno got tangled with Hidan and his ridiculous pack of brainless followers would automatically result in a clash that nobody wanted to witness.

Probably ending up with 30 corpses and a massacre that the prosecutor cannot overlook —albeit he would most likely _want_ to.

Glancing around as he planted his scythe on the floor, propelling his body casually on it, Hidan got very comical dumbfounded stares from the five people present in the shop.

Like usual, he came to collect his money from all the shops in the Sharingan, in exchange for them being allowed to run in 'his' territory.

But the owner flew immediately as Sakura and Zaku started to argue, thus his people immediately scattered around the shop for a quick 'refill', most of them stopping at the energy drinks, tobacco, and alcohol.

"Oi seriously you guys..." He pouted as his thin lips puckered now grazing the floor with the honed blades of his scythe, the sound of million nails scratching the blackboard sent a jarring electrical discharge along everyone`s spine, then smirking sadistically, manically like an original demented masochist.

"...if you are going to have an orgy here then at least wait for your turn. Now I am here for charity," He solemnly proclaimed while the shop instantaneously filled up with 20 of his bastards and actually Kiba found the moment proper to snatch some cigars, a bottle of Jack`s and some burgers, tucked them into his ragged blouse and dashed away using the back emergency door.

"I must collect the debts. Now scram _kids_ ," He ushered the group of four people who had absolutely no reaction seeing how they found themselves surrounded by Hidan and his gang; all armed with various sabers of choice, grinning slyly, some slobbering and licking their lips mapping Sakura and Konan.

And that included Sai as well! "Well... if that`s how it goes," He now dragged his scythe along the floor as he closed in to Sakura bypassing Uchiha nonchalantly as he came face to face with her, boldly and rudely entering her comfort zone and giving her a once over, from head to toe, with a malicious perverted stare that would make any woman crouch in fear.

"I think we can fucking stay a lil` bit more and... entertain such delicious babes," He cocked his head in Konan`s direction who, comically had the same impressive height as him, totally bland and expressionless.

"my I can see that you are fuckin` feisty. Fucking give me that stare when you blow me, _bitch_." He coursed vulgarly tittering now as his gang of ridiculous creatures whistled low.

"Why are you with this turd?" He spat to Sasuke from the corner of his eyes, Hidan being among the few who were too goddamn insane to be scared of anyone, he included. "Get this fucker out of my way, he reeks of shit and bongs!"

He snarled at one of his associates as Sakura curiously glanced at the mysterious dark-haired mane as he has just been roughly shoved in one of the shelves of the magazine, successfully making some sprinkle on the floor with the pages fluttering like in a horror movie; everyone laughed and snarled at him in pure contempt. "Now _now_ ladies... who wants to become a beautiful sacrifice in my precious collection?"

Seeing that Konan and Sai both stood motionless waiting for Sakura to react, the rosette on the other hand simply glanced over the shelves in the direction of the man used as a rag doll and tossed from side to side like Konan and Sai did with Dosu moments ago; her brow creasing with a light confused frown.

This guy... he had something distingue about him that Sakura simply couldn't place anywhere.

Because no human being residing in the Sharingan could have such a genteel notable sophistication in his air, but him... _Damn it, what is the deal with this dude?_

A peculiar vibe peeled from his apparently disheveled persona that dropkicked into Sakura`s conscious as she now cocked her head on the side, frowning comically like trying to read into his soul; but his portals -his eyes- were shrouded by those damned beggar clothes and messy raven locks swathing his face almost entirely.

How he could see through that maze of thick hair, Sakura wondered. A visceral need to drag that damned hoodie off his head and run her hands through his hair, pull on it and take a generous fist of that rich, incredibly ebony soft looking hair frothed along her limbs discharging into her fingertips as she dabbed her digits on the shelf.

"Sacrifices in your _collection_ you say..." She murmured now sardonically, mirroring his earlier speech spontaneously whipping her head toward the man as her strawberry blonde locks swished and whipped on her face with an enticing, lethal flaring effect; smirking at him in a complete vicissitude of attitude.

"...hm... that doesn't sound too bad actually. Maybe _I_ should certainly keep you as trophies, impale you of your limbs and heads and hang you on my walls in some sort of modern art. What do you think, _buddies_?"

She teased now as Konan and Sai both smirked invisibly from the corner of their lips understanding the silent message.

 _Crush them_ , since it was mandatory for them to send a clear message here —that Haruno controlled everything and _nothing_ controlled or bossed Haruno around.

Things are about to change dramatically in the Sharingan and there was only one way to prove ourselves on the streets.

Through blood and sheer force. "What… What the actual fuck—"

It happened so fast, that Hidan didn't even blink when Sakura rolled a gun around her digit and shoot him twice in both his shoes, now blood spritzing from the tip of his sneakers, all the while keeping her pose straight and proud, smirking as she tilt he _smiling_ angelically at him as the white gloves mocked the in comparison to the blood now spanning on his feet. "AHH! Motherfucking crazy bitch, YOU`LL FUCKING PAY FOR THIS!"

Swinging his scythe in the air like a Japanese warrior, expertly slicing the very air as the metal whiplashed, was the signal for the disaster to happen; Hidan and his men rushed to Sakura, Sai, and Konan as the trio unfailingly and vehemently fought right back.

 _Goddamn it_ , Sasuke thought for himself actually _not_ planning to be dragged into such a bloody mess.

He just prayed that Neji and Suigetsu didn't get into a similar situation knowing as they didn't have the experience to survive in this type of environment —actually _caring_ about his friends more than he was showing it, rapidly ruminating about what he shall do to lay in his advantage. _Guess I have no other choice then... he... let`s have some fun._

Already the decision has been made simultaneously to one random gargantuan guy covered in menacing tribal tattoos and piercings littering his bulky body, swinging an equally gigantic weird blade with two adjacent smaller blades in the form of a split scythe, frowning at him as he snarled.

"I was waiting for the proper moment to kick your ass for getting my younger brother in jail, you motherfuking chicken ass head!"

' _Ah, so it was his brother the one I caught threatening to rape one of Ino`s harlot friends yesterday night'_ , Sasuke rolled his orbs at the man now collecting himself from leaning over the now empty shelf and dusting of his pants, he smirked at him glancing his eyes as the brainless amoeba was just as tall as him.

"really now... if you miss that dickless coward so badly then how about you join him in jail or even better... _rot in Hell_." Uchiha snarled as he smoothly, skillfully eluded a lethal laceration of the scythe as the idiot let out his infamous battle cry lurching onwards.

Swiveling on his heel as he pivoted like a figure skater on luscious eyes, Sasuke deflected another blow as the man`s blade cut through the energy drinks, making the bubbling content spray all over and wetting their clothes like a fountain under pressure; successfully he locked his available hand preventing the bulky muscled gangster to fructify the opportunity and catch him out of guard, while he was almost with his back on the Uchiha and twisted it at a painful angle, the bones and joints popping as he let out a short startled furious cry. "AH— Motherfucking shit head—"

Wordlessly, Uchiha dropped down like a venomous lethal cobra, his speed, his reflexes, his implacable precision overshadowing his opponents` who was obviously subpar to him and, still having a painful clasp around his wrist, locked the man in that twirled position and performed a fluid low roundhouse kick whipping the floor off his feet as his opponent lost balance and gravity pulled him backwards as he teetered before falling right atop of a pyramid made of cans of orange juice, while Sasuke simply pushed it as it skated on its rollers until it hit a side window glass. "Hn... morons."

Sasuke simply side smirked as that man proved to be no competition at all, briefly taking a peep at Sakura who... literarily moped the floor with Hidan`s henchmen as the masochistic Janshinist priest stood into the sidelines, a hand swinging his scythe in the air like he was on a tropical island, high and having fun and the other was scandalously slid into his dark skinny pants, his hand rubbing on his obvious erection, his orbs leering and gleaming in lust and thrill seeing Sakura beat the crap out of his lackeys.

Something villainous, primal and hysteric simmered and aroused into Sasuke`s mind seeing a man doing such a vulgar act in front of ladies -even if they were a Boss` daughter and his best friend.

A real man never _ever_ did something so libidinous in front of a woman or in public places visited by women or children or elders. They. did. not!

It was all that churned into his now furious mind seeing as Hidan didn't pay any heed to the fact that he had two bullets in his bleeding feet; that man was demented and painfully crack nuts to even feel pain.

In fact, the pain made him feel _pleasure_ at the paramount of masochism. But when he aimed to dash to him and beat him to a bloody pulp, some idiots blocked his lethal slow sojourn, a hand with leather gloves similar to his pressed roughly no his chest trying to shove him backward; he didn't even flinch glancing to his much shorter opponent.

"Where do you think you're going you arrogant bastard? Nobody leaves this place until Hidan-sama says so... alive or in pieces, either works."

* * *

"Fuck. off." Uchiha snarled to the man as he roughly shoved his hand away nearly making the man lose his balance, not expecting a single flicker of someone`s wrist to be _that_ powerful.

Normally they knew better than to mess with him, but tonight something about the thrill of the situation made them take a step forward.

"Or else?" The idiot challenged now smirking suggestively as Sasuke found himself surrounded by five of Hidan`s masochistic friends, all flaunting their muscled physiques and swinging their combat knives, swords, and baseball bats menacingly, provocatively in his direction.

Not a single muscle rippled on his handsome, impassive face as Sasuke simply stood flippantly with his hands in his pockets, gnawing at the idiot in front of him peeping from underneath the veil of raven locks.

Inwardly, he was laughing in pure ecstasy a sensation similar to having a standing orgasm coursed through his Uchiha blood as it simmered like a bubbling volcano; surprisingly, this night he had a zeal to _kill_ like never before.

Probably because there were three people engaged in a fulminant heated battle with Hidan and his pals or... because his first contact with the target has been much more ridiculous than he anticipated.

At least, he knew that she will be at the club tonight thus he had a chance to approach her less carefully and more openly.

But for now... obsidian orbs flickered from the fluttering whirl of strawberry-blonde locks, swishing like an exotic cocktail trailing behind her back as she just delivered a flawless round kick to her opponent`s jaw, spontaneously and smoothly like performing an act in the _Swan`s Lake_ ballet, immediately sidestepping to avoid a lethal blow from Hidan`s scythe.

The idiot`s maniacal grin resonated all throughout the night shop as he threw his head backward hollering.

"Fuck yeah bitch, keep on turning me on!" Obviously the bulge in his pants now dripping wet made Sakura crunch other nostrils in contempt as she gnashed her teeth together, obviously repulsed at the lecherous coarse scene.

"Fuck, I don't even know if I want to fucking sacrifice you to Janshin-sama or fuck you senseless right on the floor! Or both! Fuck yeah babe!"

' _I was thinking about the same thing, minus the part with the Pagan God',_ Sasuke thought sardonically as the maniacal aroused nitwit swing his scythe in continues erratic blows, hoping to land a blown home, but Sakura`s steps were precise, calculated avoiding all the blows as she danced around him like million cherry blossom petals whirling in the wind, successfully whacking him in the shoulder and one peculiar move like an air palm hit one of his ribs, making him step backwards stumbling and holding his side, hissing in pain. "BAHAHAHAHAHA- FUCKING DO THAT AGAIN! I SWEAR IM GOING TO KEEP YA`!"

"Not even in your most disgusting dreams, pig!" She shrieked right back to him as, instantaneously her atmosphere changed completely from one playful and with a penchant for danger, to a serious, lethal and dark aura that peeled off in pulsing vibrations successfully making two of Hidan`s friends that jumped in to assist, teetering backward and gulping as they reconsidered.

"Sai, Konan-chan, step aside _now_!" She bad sternly, darkly with so much mal in her tune that Sasuke actually cursed the fact that he was engaged in his own battle that he couldn't see her. "Stay away from this!"

But he _felt_ it on his skin, the obvious bloodthirsty zeal, the lust for fresh meat like a hungry lioness girding her prey.

A splendid specimen, raw, exuding sheer power and entombing nature`s most primal beauty, so simple, yet so strong and absolute; but devastating.

The two wordlessly tossed their opponents on the floor like rag dolls, dusting off their clothes for effect because no flyspeck of dust stained they're perfect ironed, luxury branded clothes; both seemingly enjoying themselves, using a cheap gang fight as divertissement.

Sakura on the other had fought with an unbridled zeal that Sasuke never saw in anyone before; not even in himself.

She _smiled_ in a way so crooked, so sinister, so absolute and yet painfully angelic, alluring and deceiving all the while performing martial arts moves that stunned the audienc _e._

Of course, it wasn't enough to impress _him,_ but she came pretty close to what he deemed as a; a badass female who definitely held her ground.

"I`ll teach ya` lowlife tugs to ever mess up with a lady!" She climbed like a nightingale while performing a flawless, fluid and rapid roundhouse kick, landing two spectacular, circular and fluent blows on two of her opponents, who encircle her like wolves chasing a lamb wanting to find an opening.

Landing on her two feet like a cat-woman with veritable predatory, feline and _primary_ instincts, —typical for a Mafia Leader`s beloved daughter— she delivered a hard blow with her tight small punch on her opponent`s liver, knocking the wind out of his system as the male stumbled three steps backwards now howling as he rolled on the floor, writhing in pain; not only she knew how to fight, but she also knew _where_ exactly to land a blow, how to accurately aim and fire a gun. "AUCH!"

' _She is not a girl to mess out with'_ , pure adrenaline and quintessential raw instinct kindled in Sasuke as he casually delivered a high kick back with his heel perfectly on one of those scum`s chins hearing the unmistakable deep sound of bone cracking, then smoothly as a knife cutting butter, he stepped on his right heel, revving on it in a backpacking pirouette speeding on his ground foot and delivered a roundhouse kick that one person did _not_ miss it, except for his furious opponents; _Sai_.

Konan stood pensively glancing at Sakura as she yawned looking at her wristwatch and knowing they were late and the _Boss_ with throw a tantrum -or a corny, humorless bad pun- but Sai decided to check on the disheveled homeless junkie, friends with the dog looking boy who scurried like a rat out of the shop -stealing some goods in the process.

' _He`s good;_ , he inwardly decided not wanting to make a fool of himself and smugly downplay the man.

He looked like a real mess, with looks unkempt, cheap and tattered, seemingly skinny as only his impressive height made him stand out from the _shadows_ , but he definitely moved like the limbs of the night.

Definitely, not _just_ an amateurish street-fighter accustomed to being trapped into such jives, this man`s speed was astounding even for Sai.

To be more precise it was far _superior_ to his own, and Sai was one of the best fighters that Haruno had.

It was probably one of the main reasons why he still allowed him to date his daughter -because he was a skilled, professional killer.

His martial arts were top notch, polished, honed in years of training in the roughest conditions and he had talent.

But this raven haired man... something about him ticked Sai off and he couldn't wrap his mind around what intuition alerted him off.

Maybe it was because he wasn't revealing his face or his eyes -the portals to his _soul_ \- maybe it was his enigmatic conniption, this aura of mystique surrounding him or the element of surprise, the enticing eternal charm of a _dark horse_...

Sai couldn't wrap his mind around it, but he lightly scowled nonetheless, actually having a _reaction_ ever since they came into Konoha.

He just saw him flippantly sidestep as three adversaries, all obviously sturdier, able-bodied, muscled and menacing looking with ferocious appearance, armed with custom made weapons to kill brutally, blades, knives, combat boots and heavy chains and large, metallic rings bedecking their thick digits now wrapped into fists.

And just as _leisurely_ , like he was moving in another space or another dimension... he revved lurching onwards slightly dropping his stance with his hands swirling around of him to gain momentum and amplitude and perform a high kick from the jump that even made Sai`s fine eyebrows quirk up in surprise.

It was quite spectacular seeing as he whirled in the air with his hands folded upon his chest, his body literarily twirling in the air at an astounding speed -considering the small steps he took and the limited space he had at his disposal for such a stunt- and then split his legs spreading them wide in an aerial lateral split, kicking the chests of the adversaries in his left and right with his feet on their solar plexus; they flew backwards like colliding with a speeding truck, falling ungracefully on the shelves, rolling and scattering the goods all over the floor, howling in obvious pain. "AHH!"

Then, even _before_ he landed like a black muscular puma swiftly and soundlessly on the floor -with a spine-tingling agility and flexibility and grace that far surpassed the reflexes of a junkie or homeless closet alcoholic- he delivered a frontal heavy blow pummeling the face of the moron who aimed to whack him in the head with a baseball bat encrusted with sharp iron spikes that would have definitely turned his head into a sieve.

' _Hmm, how interesting'_ , he thought nearly smirking to himself as the three flown comically like in an action movie about martial arts, his clothes fluttering as they molded over his body.

And definitely, Sai noted two things; this man was definitely far stronger than he looked at the muscles in his arms bulked and protruded through the fabric of his cheap clothes, especially around his strong shapely bicep.

And secondly, he was no _ordinary_ idiot littering the Sharingan. ' _Definitely, have to report this to the Boss'_ , he already decided but then realized that he didn't know the name of it.

"What are you looking at so enthralled Sai?" Konan asked monotonously but intrigued at his absorbed attitude now she too glancing at the mess around; amethyst orbs fell on Sasuke who stood amidst a group of eight falling people all liming and moaning in pain, blood smearing their bruised faces, holding various parts of their bodies, all incapacitated and unable to fight him back.

While his graceful nonchalance was stupendous; hands in his pockets, he wasn't even gasping for air.

He basically took down eight of the fuckers that made Sakura look like being chased by lions —still enjoying herself like a carousel ride beating them to a bloody pulp— without breaking a sweat.

"Who _is_ this man?" She inquired as Sai shrugged now tucking the collar of one random turd he just took down, bring him in eye level as his phantom olive orbs burned into his skull; the man tried to glare back but gulped as blood emerged from his split lower lip and nose.

"Who is _he_?" It was superfluous to ask about a name since everyone knew the lone man with the hoodie still dragged to shroud his handsome, dangerous face.

"His name," Sai demanded with the same stoic, unflappable attitude as it was eerie and void of any emotion whatsoever; a trivia that _pissed_ Sakura _off_ about Sai because he was his total opposite —volcanic, mirthful and energetic.

The man only gulped again, smirking albeit he nearly passed off and spit Sai in the face leaving stains of blood smearing the pale lackluster veneering of his ghostly mien.

"Fuck... you." He only sputtered before Sai simply, still keeping his black elegant black leather gloves on his slim hands, punched him square to the jaw and sent him flying on a shelf with magazines falling backward with his legs dangling in the air.

"Incorrect answer." He briskly closed in before the fallen man now littered in cuts and glass protruding from the open bleeding wounds and, tucking on his collar he brought his limp form in eye level, placed his revolver on his temple and asked again carefully, slowly, flatly in a way so eerie that sent shivers of pure _panic_ and fear brimming along his spine. "I will ask again; what is _his_ name?"

"U-Uchiha…" The man spat blood as it sprayed straight on Sai`s new, ironed custom-made designers suit. "Sasuke Uchiha…"

"Hm… Interesting name indeed; very… _exotic_ I could say. Especially the _surname_ ," Tossing the man aside like noting and dusting off his neat ironed suit, Sai rubbed his chin thinking hard as he quickly skimmed through the shelves of his memory.

"I am pretty positive that I`ve heard the name _Uchiha_ before... in association to Konoha if I`m not mistaken."

"Uchiha _Fugaku_ was the Chief of Konoha`s Police Force," Konan casually spoke as she too glanced at the insane karate moves of this homeless rave haired male, and, albeit she won`t ever break her porcelain doll facade, she too took him in with cautious.

"before he has been killed in that gore massacre but... seems like whoever did this left behind _one_ survivor; who stupidly ended up in the Sharingan."

If this man ended up as a gangster, he would be an inestimable asset in Harmon's circle.

"The Uchiha clan`s sole _heir_?" Something frothed in Sai`s chest in some sort of acid frisky feeling which he recognized —shockingly— as being  competition.

Which was stupid as hell, considering that the Uchiha Clan was extinct and the sole heir didn't give up to... _any_ reputation; he was a homeless friend with the most notorious junkies in a trashy neighborhood, part of the delinquents.

Rumors spread that lawyers and shark loans tricked him and deprived him of all his rightful inheritance and, judging from the way he looked like and the fact that he kept a low profile, probably he was poor as a street rat too.

 _Then why was he feeling like_ —

Three people —him, Konan _and_ Sakura— froze momentarily in all sorts of comical positions as Sasuke decided to... put on a show before dashing out of the shop; he went with _style_ knowing exactly what he was doing.

Seeing Sai`s reaction with the corner of his hawk eye in the reflection of the window on his right side, he leaped on his side over a small shelf with natural juices easily like he had no bones in his lithe frame, easily avoiding a pretty clumsy, slow -much slower than his speed and reflexes- low roundhouse kick from one of his opponents.

Hands swinging on his sides momentarily to gain momentum and balance, he flexed the muscles of his sculpted legs conveniently shrouded by the trashy rags he wore, straightened his long arms above his head as if he wished to dive into the water, head first, and jumped like a black panther on one of the high shelves filled with instant noodles and cans like an top athlete, balancing on his palms in a veritable parallel bars hands support; his lissome body aligned at a perfect 90 degrees angle, now having _everyone_ in his rang and field of view.

"Hn." He only smirked, growing low on his throat as he was closest to Sakura, momentarily -just one surreptitious glance hurtled in her direction, knowing, calculated, _planned_ from the beginning- before he huddled his toned legs into his chest and spread them wide, kicking two opponents attacking from his left and right, catching them while they were already set in motion to attack him; but he was faster than the speed of the sound.

" _Amateurs_." And he included the three newcomers into the town as well, publicly _downplaying_ and _mocking_ them like he wasn't afraid or impressed about their earlier performance.

All of that happened in less than five seconds, as not even his adversaries had the time to stop themselves from launching at the Uchiha; he was always too fast, too amazingly _good_ , out of their league, too much of ... everything!

Still supporting himself in that acrobatic, incredibly bodily challenging -insane- gymnastic position -obviously betraying hard planes of muscles, sculpted pyramids simmering with raw strength and long practice- he had enough strength in _that_ position to kick their chest sand sent Hidan`s followers ricocheting backwards, stumbling on their feet and hitting all sorts of products now scattered around the floor and pouring on their skulls.

' _What. The. actual. Fuck?!'_

Then, just as easily, amazingly smooth with a fluidity that even challenged professional athletes, like he was maid of _air_ and _shadows_ , defying gravity laws, Sasuke swirled his hips, pushed on his dominant left hand and, in one swift motion, he turned about while his still split legs that he kept straight and lean, whirled like a windmill, swiveling as he supported himself in only his palms, on the shelf; hitting his last two remaining rivals who had their jaw dropped in absolute stupefaction forgetting the dangerous, lethal weapons teetering on their hands.

Kicking them in their skulls like a wheel with his heels in descendent, staccato blows, then rapidly, just as swiftly and elegantly like a cat, he huddled his legs to his chest, now perching on the shelf and tilt his head on the side; smirking albeit he looked like a disheveled black _raven_ with his feats entirely covered by his clothes and hair and no one could depict his face.

"Never... EVER disrespect a _girl_ by showing your disgusting _assets_ in front of her in _my_ presence, you bloody deviant masochistic son of a _bitch_."

He growled low, so low that momentarily Sakura felt an electric jolt jar along her spine, a reaction that nothing and no one, absolutely _no one_ in the world has been ever capable to arouse in her, feeling her breath hitch midway her lungs.

Staring at _him_ in absolute stupefaction, definitely not expecting to see such a disheveled man being so... spectacular!

Spicy and mysterious. His enigma, this mystique attitude, occult, danger with the urban decadence, the nonchalance in his messy appearance, the obvious virility, the strength, the out of the world martial arts moves... _wow_ , just wow!

' _Who the hell is this guy?'_

"—W-What the fuck are you—" Before Hidan even had the chance to babble now acting like Sasuke has _not_ just insulted him and beat his friends to a bloody pulp now intervening in his fight with the hot chick -the masochist was enjoying himself sparring and getting whacked by this fetching feisty girl- Uchiha leaped from he counter -which was pretty high- easily, in one swift motion as he performed a descendent high kick with his right leg straight atop Hidan`s skull, landing perfectly on the ground with his left leg, not even flinching or losing balance.

In the process, he avoided a clumsy, disheveled and completely moronic and slow, unfocused and erratic swing of his infamous scythe as it sliced through the air like a leather whip; perfectly knowing when to strike as Hidan remained completely exposed, vulnerable and in a position that allowed him no successful block for _Uchiha`s_ counterattack.

"— _demonstrating_ it to you since you are too much of a moron to _remember it."_ Then, just as nonchalantly, he swiveled on his right heel and, with a final roundhouse kick that was child`s play to _him_ , high, beautiful as a cartwheel sent Hidan flying atop the cash register, both falling down with a high thud, creating a mess as the man now rolled under the counter, tangled in electric cables and having coffee poured all over him -boiling and steamy- as the cashier left in a hurry, cursing like there was no tomorrow

. "Now Hidan... know your place." He casually stated while Konan, Sai, and Sakura -as well as the ones still remaining on their feet or trying to get up and help their fallen leader- asked themselves the same thing.

 _How in the world is he NOT gasping for air?!_

"Who the fuck are _you_?! Hulk? A shitty Marvel superhero?" Sakura actually started to twitter, energetically questioning him while cracking her neck trying to peep at his face, to no avail; he was ridiculously tall as well.

"Whoa! What`s with the ninja moves dude?" he didn't even turn to her to acknowledge her, only tantalized a intrigued her mind with his proximity: Konan was the only one noticing that Sakura didn't smack him for entering her personal bubble —he was basically so close that their shoulders nearly touched.

"Oi, are you rudely ignoring me after -ehm- defending my _dignity_?" She started to laugh while the pejorative assure Sasuke that this angel was _not_ that pure in reality.

' _Duh, of course!'_

His closeness drove her absolutely insane! Something about _this_ man felt electric, like molting electric fire, electricity and flames coming in one new element that was only particular to him and him only and it was spine-tingling!

She absolutely _savored_ every second as she simply stared at his profile, trying to see right through his pile of stupid clothes.

Oh— how _terribly_ she yearned to back him up against the counter and strip him of _all_ the clothes, barren and see those obvious probably mouthwatering muscles that were capable of producing such damage —she nearly gasped as she saw that he impaled ten of those rather strong, sturdy morons without breaking a single sweat!

Wait... why wasn't she doing just that?! He could _feel_ it, smell in her atmosphere what she had in mind and when her fists tucked on the front of his blouse backing him up against the shelf as the food around dropped and scattered around their feet, pressing herself against him like ready to pummel his face -of course not making a fool of herself trying to lift him up from the ground- he smirked under his breath; foreseeing it and planning it to happen.

He was having her whirled around his pinky finger; because it was a reaction he wanted out of her, no matter what type of. And if it was insanity and sexual carnal desire, then even better!

Of course, Sasuke didn't like to flirt with random women, but something about this girl intrigued and stirred him; Maybe her feisty, unabashed unwound attitude, blunt and rough like a diamond not afraid to shine as it was in his most primordial form felt captivating, unique and refreshing; standing out from the rest.

"Don't you even dare to ever _ignore_ me, prick!" She hissed in his face as her breath literarily fanned over his lips.

Her body, feisty, young and fresh, overflowing with a solar energy similar to Naruto`s, warm, tender, curvaceous and feminine, but athletic and toned at the same time smashed against his own, their hips and chest touching in all the _right_ angles; she pushed onwards, but his self-discipline was even more astounding than his fighting street.

No man that she had in this position remained absolutely unruffled. And not because Sakura was a slut going around and fooling with men, but because she liked to tease them before she _killed_ them, making a valid point. "Speak for the love of—"

"—hn" his annoying now earmark reply came as he dropped his angular chin briefly —since he didn't even lowered it presumptuously to acknowledge her, only his obsidian irises burned into her emerald vivid ones— his fine lips almost brushing over her own.

Heart leaped in her chest in pure ecstatic adrenaline as he nearly _kissed her,_ accidentally or purposely, before the easily blocked her left hand with a hold of his own around her upper arm, praying her hands off the cotton material of his clothes, pivoted on his legs as they both whirled acrobatically, fast like in a mad, sensually erotic tango, the moment poetic and picturesque and captivating.

Then he let go as he turned to the exit, passing a frozen Konan and a confused Sai in the process, neither doing _anything_ to stop him from advancing.

Sakura who found herself facing on the _opposite_ direction as Sasuke led her expertly, feeling her innards turn like in a mad horror carousel ride, fine combed a hand though her messy roseate locks and shook her head in disbelief.

"What the fuc— oi! What the— wait! ASSHOLE! Why won't you come back here and face me like a real _man_?"

He tittered at her assumption and Sakura swore it was the most poetic, seductive and completely dreary erotic manly voice she has ever heart; it was smooth as creamy butter and dark as mint chocolate and molted her insides. She got _hot_ , incredibly hot by this man and he barely touched her or acknowledged her;

He didn't even try to lure, captivate or tempt her, and yet something about her stirred something primal in Sakura, the instinct to _possess_ him, to dominate and tame this man, to feel his fire melt under her fingertips to have him _ripple_ in all his muscular, beautifully sculpted tall form _beneath_ her, to arch against him, to feel him as he was dangerous, implacable and fast moving _inside_ of her; she wanted to _fuck_ him so terribly senseless, to lose her breaths into the flames of his obviously frothing passion that it physically ached.

And Konan, her best friend, the one who knew that Sakura felt nothing for Sai than disgust and annoyance, saw the change in her. _Attraction_.

It was so palpable, so tangible as it took the form of his retracting shadow as it spanned until it symbolically u _nited_ with here that stretched across the floor, that she could touch it if she outstretched her hand.

 _Uh-oh..._ Konan didn't know exactly who that man was or what his plan was, but her intuition alerted her that he was a danger.

"WHY— HUH—?!"

"—because you failed to say _please_." Which meant please, step aside as Sakura Haruno won't ever _plead_ or beg anyone for anything she had everything with a mere snap of her fingers and the was Sasuke's tactic.

Prove it to her that _he_ was something out of her reach, let her desire him, get addicted and rot in the frustration of not being able to have him.

Let her scorch for him, ache for him, melt for him, get _wet_ and ready for him, crave for him like she never yearned for anything so ardently in her entire life.

Then giving her morsels and bits until he had her at his mercy.

His voice— oh God his _voice_! Dumbfounded, frozen and absolutely blown-away as she gasped and _leered_ at his retracting form like gazing at a traipsing wraith, she chanted it onto her mind over and over again, feeling jitters all over her spine. That voice didn't belong to a beggar or a homeless person, no no _no_!

It was by far, the most fucking _erotic_ , sexy, sensual and masculine _perfect_ pitched voice that Sakura has ever heard in her own life and just by reminiscing boat it, fantasies, dark in exotic started to overflow the front of her mind.

Momentarily forgetting where she was and who was accompanying her. "Just so you know," He murmured from the doorway as he lingered keeping his left hand between the two sliding doors only slightly turning around so as she would feel _those_ orbs —hues that simmered like two black suns, shrouded by his hair, eyes she could not see but _felt_ \- smirking slyly from the corner of his lips. "that I am _not_ impressed."

' _Yet_.' The unspoken word burned between them, resonating so loud, so clear, so challenging, so mocking so… _erotic_.

' _My game has already started... Haruno Sakura-hime-sama.'_

 _Keep going..._

Because no living sane person without suicidal thoughts EVER turned down, ignored or defied _Queen_ Sakura like that!

And yet he...

With that presumption remark, he strolled casually outside not dashing like all the others before he did -scurrying like rats afraid of this new gang- leaving three dangerous people inside tilting they're heads and having very different inner thoughts about this peculiar character.

"Pff— what the hell was _that_? What a major show off! That stupid shitty bastard!" Sakura now placed a hand down her hip leaning on her right leg as she runs a smooth hand through her strawberry-blonde locks that took the tinge of cherry blossoms in the light, a virgin shade antagonist to her character. "Who the fuck does that oaf think he is?! Does he want a bullet in his ass?"

"I don't think he is afraid of you Sakura," Konan remarked with no emotion in her voice but Sakura was already accustomed of being surrounded by faces and figures made of paper everything about her was just _ornamentation_ , a bauble that her Daddy deemed as _treasure_.

In reality, Sakura missed spontaneity, flamboyance, danger and intuition in her life —zeal, adrenaline and the penchant for seeing on the fast line.

Thinks she couldn't do with such stupidly _perfect, meticulous, obedient_ people afraid of her Daddy and only wanting to get into his good grace; Konan was a good friend, but she was dead inside and Sai was just a... distraction.

Someone good enough to chase away annoyingly clingy, desperate and drooling pretenders for the chair of the Mafia an less zealous to marry _her_.

She felt like a trophy, a cargo that came along with power and fame and frankly Sakura hated.

Always wanting to get out of her father's shadow, she wished to accomplish something on her own.

And thus she needed people who were not afraid to feel alive _,_ to break the stereotypes and the rules, no matter who made them.

 _People like Uchiha Sasuke..._

"I bet ya` he isn`t now, is he?" She actually liked this type of girl; a jarring sensation hat Sakura who now had her hand on her hip felt brimming along her spine, smirking behind Sasuke`s back, as he casually trolled outside.

"Let`s go. Daddy`s waiting for us for dinner."

"What about this mess?"

"...we are not service cleaners." She rolled her orbs at Sai`s idiotic comment —everything this idiot did drove her insane in the _bad_ kind of way- now passing Hidan by who was still moaning in absolute pain holding his injured sides, cursing obscenities as his friend huddled to push against the sliding doors, fighting of who to get the hell out of there first. " _Uchiha_ Sasuke you said huh? My _my_ — maybe we will meet again tonight."

"He didn't strike as a party person."

"Of course he didn`t but... he is not the type to back away from a _challenge_." And Sakura was definitely a challenge for anyone whose blood frothed like Uchiha`s.

Because as much as Sasuke flaunted his skills for piercing through minds like a honed blade through butter, she too depicted his personality with accuracy.

Getting back to the luxurious limo waiting for them on the front street, Sakura couldn't help but notice that this man had the ability to _thrill_ her as well as staying in the shadows; because she saw no trace of him, nothing to guide her.

 _A raven searching for his firmament can never be free from its spirits until he doesn't learn to free his own mind first._

' _I can't wait until we meet again Sasuke-kun.'_

* * *

.

.

.

* * *

Suigetsu to Neji missed the whole spectacle with Sakura`s sumptuous, flamboyant grand entrance, but they found themselves something else to keep them entertained.

Now currently comically eavesdropping careening against a decrepit people right outside of a garage, they tried to peep inside at the clamor.

"Dude," Suigetsu puffed his cigar to annoy Neji who didn't touch such poison. "half of these people are on the ATF list. I can arrest them now without a warrant." He felt too lazy to do it simply speculating. That place was the like an orphanage for criminals.

"Get over yourself Hozuki," Neji exhaled heavily racking a hand through his hair nervously annoyed by the vibe of that place and by constantly having someone breathing on his nape.

"We are not here for petty business. We're here to keep a hawk eye on Danzo`s suspicious moves, track Haruno`s lapdogs and watch Uchihas back." Suigetsu snorted at how constipated and edgy his once sateen voice resonated along the eerie alleys.

"I`m fine with the others, but... dude... watch _Sasuke`s_ back? Seriously? Since when does he need someone to babysit him? The _mommy_ role fits Tsunade-sama and not you. Are you aiming to take her place?" They all knew it was the truth and Neji never kept his intentions occult.

"Shut up."

"You know I'm right so why denying it?" He said watching prostitution and someone selling drugs for money casually like it wasn't any big deal.

"Look at that dude, must be some good shit that ya won't find anywhere in the city." Neji brushed off the comment since Hozuki`s specialty was drug trafficking. He knew all the drugs by heart and could even tell them by simply smelling them.

"Tsunade plans to retire in ten years from now buddy," he explained. "Jirayia has a better chance than you and besides... you didn't get a pussy yet. You`re not fit for the task."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Neji looked at him curiously but affronted nonetheless. "I am the most capable one to take her place."

"Nah," he clucked on this tongue head shaking as his index digit shook lecturing him. "you are _too_ rightful for the task. Someone to take her place must be someone who doesn't hesitate in staining her hands with blood but you my buddy," he tapped his back with seemingly sympathy in his now mocking tone.

"don't have enough _darkness_ in you to fit for that job. You don't know how _they_ think, you don't smell them..." he pointed around as both took another glimpse to the rushed people passing them by. "you don't blend with them, you don't understand them."

"Then who does? Tsunade-sama? Jirayia-sama?" Both of them previously coming from organized criminal organizations betraying and becoming FBI agents recruits. "Because they have been to the other side of the law? Kami Suigetsu..."

"No, not them. They are still pansies when it comes to stuff like _this_ , I meant _him_." Neji watched as Suigetsu stepped on his cigar after taking one last drag, glancing skywards as alone spiral of smoke loomed above his head soaring to the sky as he murmured. "Sasuke."

"Sasuke to… take Tsunade-sama`s place? Get serious Suigetsu, none in the million years." He started to traipse now more nervously, shaking by the implication of Suigetsu`s words, but he knew better than to let jealousy and futile competition consummate him. When it came to darkness, unlike Tsunade and Jirayia... Sasuke did _not_ get emotionally _attached_ to it.

For Uchiha... this place was no paradise where he could escape, his mind firmly remained unconnected, uncorrupted, pure... on the other side of the law.

 _"Are you guys getting paid to play the idiots undercover part-time or is part of your disguise? Because you totally suck at the task."_

Neji felt his heart leap into his throat as Uchiha freakin` _Sasuke_ inconspicuously sneaked behind them casually leaning against the wall of bricks, hands stuffed into his pockets and a cigar playing in the corner of his lips; glancing at the morons before him tiring to fit in.

Some people just don't know when to _keep going_...

"Ah— what the fuck man, you scared the shit outta` us!" Suigetsu growled low to the Uchiha now as his attention was split between the questionable gestures of the ATF agents and this friend of his with his inconsistent, erratic conniption. "What are you doing here?"

Taking a long drag from his cigar as he puckered his thin lips, dipping his head down to blow a trail of spiral smoke into the air, whirling like lackluster circles, catching some interesting in the corner of his obsidian orbs; those Danzo lapdogs were closely _supervised_ by someone who probably pulled the string, now patiently keeping a hawk eye on them from a black SUV parked two streets away, on a parallel alley. "What… are you questioning me now? Do I need your _approval_ to get here? I live here Einstein, remember?"

"... _he_ told us that we absolutely have to deliver the shipment in absolute silence before— oh shit! We have company bro."

As Sasuke merely flickered his obsidian orbs towards the pack of five humongous, able-bodied and unfamiliar people just getting around the corner nearly bumping into Neji and Suigetsu, the aforementioned best friends of his nearly got scared out of their minds.

One would say that they weren't good or professional FBI agents reviewing their erratic behavior so far, but this wasn't the truth.

In reality, they were too good in their respective areas, but Sharingan was something entirely different.

It required skills that no prior training would grant; one had to actually live her to understand its _rhythm_ , the peculiar music

Or vehemently search for what he had to offer -like Sasuke involuntarily did- as it would naturally pulled one towards the place he belonged.

"What the fuck..." Neji pivoted on his leg to come face to face to their apparent leader with a menacing appearance, who was at last one head taller than the Hyuga, of the same muscled physique, but with a rebel, a wild and terrible glint in his dark eyes.

They probably didn't have good timing to stumble on this gang as the man lowered his phone, interrupting his phone call shut, handing it to one of his companions as it glared at the pale-eyed male before him, mapping him from head to toe and growling lowly, venomously without any sort of tact. "Fuck off loser!"

Meaning that Neji shall step aside and leave the gang to pass them by but of course the Hyuga didn't like to be bossed around; so he simply stared at the man like he was single, crossed his hands upon his chest in a manly street gesture to signalize that he was definitely _not_ impressed or intimidated and remained silent.

Nut defying someone in here was similar to a war declaration, thus he found himself pushed roughly as he stumbled one step boards by this strong, dangerous gangster as he nearly shouted with a look in his eyes so terribly that he was probably capable of anything.

"I said MOVE the fuck out of my way are you deaf?!"

"Oi man c`mon, we have to get _there_ in time. We ain`t have time for this type of shit." He pointed to Suigetsu and Neji as Sasuke cleverly, cautiously stepped into the shadows as they became his best ally in times like this; where he wanted to observe and not intervene.

As much as he would to step in and defend his friends, their mission would be jeopardized if anyone would find out that they already knew each other and were allies. "Not until I break the noses of these motherfucking assholes, get them!"

"Man... this is not my ideal type of ending a day..." Suigetsu moaned as a punch whirled in his direction coming from his side, but he hastily sidestepped and caught the arm that followed the punch as one of those idiots stumbled on his feet losing balance; Suigetsu simply coiled his hand around his bicep, whirled him twice to make the man lose his balance and then let him go as he did a pirouette and stumbled on one of the dumpsters, hitting his face on the metallic carcass then fell down on his butt.

"You don't say?" A deep scowl etched Neji`s handsome visage as he subtly glanced to the pensive Uchiha -still peeping from the sidelines- understanding that he won't be interfering anytime soon -understanding that it was imperative for them to appear as strangers and not best friends and FBI comrades.

"Newbies shall stay the fuck away off our business—"

"—Aish seriously, you people are quite unfriendly in this area, aren`t you? It makes me feel blue and grumpy..."

Suigetsu tittered as he faked being hurt starting to enjoy _slicing_ things in these places; now he could have all the fun and action he missed, beat the shit out of idiots without shit loads of paperwork on his name and a good lecture from Tsunade-baa-chan; tossing punches as the content of his heart was his all-time favorite job.

Expertly taking a blow on his ribs without even flinching as his sculpted body was being shrouded underneath those baggy clothes -an outfit reminiscent to Sasuke's- he delivered a simple roundhouse kick on the sternum of his attacker, then quickly pivoted on his ground leg to deliver a similar descending high kick to another one who tried to surprise him by leaping from behind with a combat knife in his hand -which Suigetsu recognized as being peculiar to the ones who dealt drugs.

"Gotcha!" he chimed with his sinister dirge crooked side smirk, pinpointing with his fingers resembling two water guns on his temple before whacking him being the nape, successfully impaling two attackers effortlessly.

Neji seemed to be having one hell of a time with their leaders who now dropped his phone to fight the Hyuga both entrapped in what would look like a boxing match, street style, both encircling and dance around each other, throwing punches that landed in their forearms, shoulders or blocks. "Hm? What`s that—"

Before he had the chance to finish his mumbling, Suigetsu noted that a shadow spanned above his head looming over him, quickly revving on his heel whirling his head backwards, not in time to avoid a lethal blow on his head delivered by someone taller, bulkier than him, with a metallic pipe raised above his head. "—Oh shit!"

Instinctively he raised his hands up in a disheveled desperate reflex to protect his head only... the blow never came as it has been followed by a thud, a muffled short scream before the body has been tossed on the side.

"Huh?" Suigetsu`s orbs widened ever so slightly confused at whatever happened in the span of a nanosecond, before realizing that he was staring right into the onyx eyes of Uchiha Sasuke, who clicked on his tongue in exasperation, racked a hand through this disheveled raven mane and twitched the end of his thin lips.

"Tsk... pay attention will you? You two make a fool of yourselves, damn morons... this is not the child's` playground, _buddy_."

He hissed low on his chest, but heartedly coating it in a candid advice, subtly letting Suigetsu now that he was _not_ half the royal douchebag of a friend that everyone made him be and he had their backs if things went out of hand.

He knew this gang. They were among the top-notch drug dealers in the Sharingan with tight connections in Sunagakure and the Hidden Mist, thus not the ones to be taken lightly or belittled. "Thanks man."

Suigetsu murmured appreciatively just as lightly so as no one would notice quickly looking -and nearly gasping- at how fast Sasuke was when he smacked the man`s skull, sent him whirling in the air and landing ungracefully on the ground unconscious saving his friend`s life and subtly snatch the dropped phone to skim through the agenda and depict who the call was meant to -of course, the person on the other side of the line quickly hung up hearing the clamor and they were using a pre-pay but it didn't matter.

The FBI was resourceful enough to locate the phone call and the interlocutor. "Take this to Tsunade-Baa-Chan tomorrow morning,"

Sasuke instructed as he looked at how Neji finally succeeded in beating his adversary to a bloody pulp by delivering an expert, low, fast and hard punch on the liver sending him crouching on the hard cement, coughing and gasping for air, gripping on his tummy as the blow knocked the wind out of his lungs. "it might be a useful clue to realize who is the pipeline for this drugs cartel in the Sharingan and Konoha—"

"—Oi! _Minna_!" Oh for the love of all that`s holy— _he_ couldn't have had any better timing, Sasuke inwardly cringed now pissed off to the maximum as he saw a blob of golden disarray short bristles flung in his field of view, followed by a very familiar pimp`s equally baffled figure.

"You guys are too flashy, `ttebayou! It`s not even midnight and the party has just begun! And no one invited _us_!" The blade idiot puckered his lips pouting comically with his kitsune features, as he quickly mapped his surroundings whistling low on his chest.

"Well damn..." Asuma took a long drag of his cigar now traipsing to the fallen drug dealers kicking on in his ribs without mercy as he saw the man groaning in pain, holding his sides with his hand clutched to his midsection, bent in an abnormal angle -as the one was probably cracked.

"what business do you have with this shitheads? Competition? Rivalry? _Girls_ problems maybe? Hehe— you _punks_!" he teased now smirking from the corners of his lush lips looking at a grave Uchiha who resisted the urge to glare at the man for his innuendo.

"Not your fucking business. Don't you have whores to _entertain_ Asuma?" He used his name purposely so that his friends -who looked out of a place like scared new high school transferred nerds to a classroom fool of bullies- would know who those people were.

"Oi, are you on crack or just stupid? Or both? Fuck of!" He glared at Naruto snarling at him as the blonde inconspicuously leaned over Uchiha`s shoulder, casually like they are best friends wrapping a hand around his shoulders, peeping at the phone in his hands -that he was just about to pass to Suigetsu.

"Man, why so grouchy today? So are you _were_ calling a girl after all, huh? bastard bastard _bastard_... who`s the courageous lady who would stay with such a constipated prick? Do I know her? Is she pretty? Is she _human_ —"

At this point, both Neji and Suigetsu stifled al more aught seeing this Naruto character for the first time, but the reaction he triggered from the now flaring up Uchiha was priceless and terribly amusing.

"—piss off dobe. Ain`t have time for your shit." He passed the phone casually to Suigetsu as the man took it like it belonged to him, making it look like he said his ass out of generosity.

"So _now_ you play the hero with the newbies too, huh? _Batman_ of the Sharingan... charity work is so _sweet_ of you, Teme! You should be given a medal really! For community service! HAHAHA! Believe it!"

Then he turned to Suigetsu and Neji with a wide grin sprawled all over his boyish face as the two men couldn't help but smirk right back; something about his solar, flamboyant and totally rebels attitude was refreshing, soothing in ways they could not describe.

"He does this from time to time secretly because this royal brooding _bastard_ doesn't want anyone to find out that he has a _soft_ heart, aww! Isn`t he cute our dearest Sasuke- _chan_?"

 _Somebody remove this post from me before I break his limbs or his neck_ , Sasuke`s incessant glare all but said it all.

Naruto simply threw his ahead backwards and laughed like a hyena on helium at Sasuke's expression as Uchiha tried to ward him off, but the idiot won't let him go resulting in both stumbling backwards and nearly tripping on the falling idiot who still groaned in pain in the background.

"Well well— aren`t these people resourceful or what?" Asuma crouched and picked up a small plastic bag with a white powder inside of it, mapping it carefully with his hawk orbs, puffing from his cigar as the leader of the pack sent all sorts of weak, insults threatening him and demanding his bag back, but Asuma simple whacked him in the back of his knee as he tried to run away but failed to; stumbling in a ridiculous sequence of teetering steps before landing on his nose.

Seeing the content of the bag, Sasuke quickly, expertly ward Naruto off him -the blonde clung to him like an ivy- and strolled to Asuma, orbs narrowed to slits; he had an idea of what might be inside but something else caught his attention.

"Give me that shit," he clipped in a vulgar language that made Hyuga and Suigetsu frown and inwardly cringe; he completely adapted to lifestyle here, the best actor, acting like a gangster from a gang. "heroine," he gnashed his teeth together, maxillaries clenched painfully as he cursed low on his chest. "shit!"

Neji and Suigetsu abstained from their quests not wanting to let it show that they had a liaison to him. Naruto mumbled on a more serious note that felt so outré coming from _him_. "Teme—"

"—get the hell out of here!" Asuma let them go as they stumbled and blood spurt from their split lips, biases, tattered and limping. "heroin... has never been sold in the Sharingan before."

"What does that mean?" Asuma dragged his Cuban cigar dangling for his lip; leaning against the wall beside he looked to the idiots. "Never seen this dickheads before."

Sasuke clucked on his tongue, racking a hand through his hair; his messy appearance was disheartening. "That`s because they are not from this freaking place Einstein." They only kept a low profile.

"Outsiders?" Naruto was serious for the first time joining Sasuke's side both glancing around rather than the boys.

"A rival gang losing their way here?"  
"Nah," Sasuke put on his sunglasses, discarding his own butt cigar stepping on it and putting on his helmet mounting on his bike. "it`s already begin."

His subtle reference pointed to Haruno as he was most likely already in town. Before he passed Hyuga and Hozuki not sparing them a glance he mumbled discreetly for their sensitive ears to perceive. "the _crow_ returned to his _sweet_ nest boys."

Naruto and Asuma tittered because that was how they insulted wannabes but Hozuki and Neji understood; the crow meaning Haruno Mafia boss, returned to the nest meaning he was already into the Sharingan and sweet meant he walked started selling drugs here and already making valuable connections and associates to use for transporting his drugs safely in and out of Konoha..

"He`s one fucked smartass..." Asuma said turning around patting Neji on his back friendly making him nearly stumble; he had to look weak otherwise he would have cracked that man's filly arm, scoffing. "whoever is _his_ buddy," he pointed to Uchiha as he dabbed his thumb into his muscled chest. "is also _my_ buddy."

Then he pointed to the golden haired grinning idiot who had a triumphant look sprawled across his goofy face.

"And we take good care of our brothers." then hollered as two whores joined his side wrapping their skinny hands around his shoulders as he smirked to them, kissed their cheeks with a luscious smooch of his plush lips and waved to them as he strolled on the opposite direction. "Welcome to _Paradise_ boys!" He hollered crossing the street.

Immediately the two girls joined the two as Neji gasped then brushed the prostitutes off. "I don't want... fucking whores!"

Suigetsu tittered around encircling the girl's waist; a beautiful _red haired_ woman who looked desperate enough to sleep with a new in town dude. "What the fuck are you laugh at you idiot?"

He smirked at him knowingly. "Dunno `bout ya _buddy_ ," he mimicked his earlier tone. "but I kind of start to like it in here." he then glanced at the woman giving him an appreciative once over, nodding and smirking from the corner of his lips singing to her in such an eerie, perverted manner. "What's your name babe?" He inquired as the woman scoffed.

The woman _Karin_ detached from him punched him in the balls as he crouched cursing and spat. "I'm not _that_ desperate for money... loser."

And walked off brushing her auburn locks over her shoulder and pushing her hips onwards traipsing with confidence and leaving Suigetsu gasping shocked leering at her voluptuous back.

This time Neji smirked tittering as none noticed that Sasuke has discreetly left their side with Naruto hot on his heels. "What the fuck are _you_ laughing about moron?" He said as Hyuga strolled on the empty street taking the opposite direction.

"Dunno brother but… I think I start to like it in here. At least, women are strong and have a will of their own, enough to know their morals and turn likes like _you_ down."

"Bah," Suigetsu snorted as they strolled to what looked like the most obscure, sinister, decrepit and questionable thong of blocks shadowing one another`s panorama and missing frames of the windows, ins search for 'shelter'.

"I can bet ya` three hundred bucks that you are going to find yourself a woman in _here_ and live in this little Paradise of yours like two inseparable lovey-doves. I`m calling it now;" he designed the sky and a rainbow in the air like an original clown.

"the splendid imposing Hyuga Neji -heir of the almost royal Hyuga clan- falling desperately in love with a woman from ghettos or the slums of the society and have four kids without her."

"What are you stupid or high?" He hissed throwing inconspicuous furtive glances around. "what if someone heard your annoying rant?"

About his family name and thus his affiliation. "do not even joke about something so horrendous and unimaginable; it will never ever happen." Him falling in love with one of those harlots? As if! Not if the world was coming to a fucking end—"

* * *

"—oi you _nitwit_!" Someone clipped at him forlornly with a tinge of venom that made one`s toes curl in fear and a solid push on his right shoulder nearly made him teeter on his feet; now the comrades both came to an abrupt halt glancing at a petite shadow spanning at their feet. "are you blind or some shit got stuck into your alien eyes? Watch your fuckin` steps, loser!"

"I beg your pardon?" He couldn't help but stare passionately at the woman who barely reached his collarbone as she entered his personal bubble now dabbing the tip of her index finger between his pectorals, immediately a vein twitching at his right temple annoyance. "What a coarse language for a woman; _you_ on the other hand barely fall into the aforementioned category."

Suigetsu cleverly skimmed into the sidelines, now observing terribly amused and barely stifling a chortle how an athletic young woman -probably no older than Hyuga himself- with fine but defined muscles girding her arms and shapely long legs, swathed in a gym attire similar to what the female boxers wear, a gym bag tossed aimlessly over her left shoulder dangling behind her back and a loose ponytail swishing between her sculpted slim shoulder blades, stomping to Neji who happened to bump into her as they passed around the corner.

Bristling, seething through gall her pores and spitting flames through her gnashing teeth as she berated him, cursing the hell out of him in ways that no one ever has dared.

"What?! Wha— are you _retarded_ or mentally incapacitated? What`s with the choice of shitty words seriously..."

Now as she took a small step back to observe the idiot stumbling on his damn feet, Tenten mapped him unabashedly, nipping on her lower lip as a tease slithered from her thin lips.

"And that ridiculous ninja hairstyle from Feudal Japan? Are you gay? Ya` know, I`m giving you a piece of advice for free because I feel unusually generous with the nerds today. Don`t wear those clothes and that hairstyle in public. Here, it only means two things; you either look for a good beating or someone to fuck your ass hard."

This is where Suigetsu palmed his mouth forming a tent to cover his tittering, crouching down as the muscles in his abdomen twitched and throbbed painfully; bruising into a raucous contagious laughter seeing _that_ stupefied, dumbfounded look on the almighty Hyuga Neji.

Normally, his interlocutor would have been spread on the ground, littered with bruises and his knuckles tattooed across his jaws, but this spunky creature was a _girl_. " _Nani?_ "

Neji snarled incredulously at the bluntness and vernacular of this barbarian woman with the language of a gangster and the conniption of a baboon.

And not just a girl, but a _babe_. Quickly scanning here form flagrantly, Suigetsu couldn't help but appreciate God`s gift to this woman.

Even in her spur of feminism, having the general aura of a gangster girl capable of defeating men who were bulkier and stronger than her, fairly, she was unbelievably _attractive_.

 _Oho, interesting_ , Suigetsu now leaned flippantly against the wall behind, arms crossed over his chest as seeing how Neji Hyuga simply stood petrified in front of her rant, not reacting, having no emotion churning on his face, his sculpted shoulders stiffened and tense, but his overall atmosphere proud and presumptuous; only his milky orbs glanced northward to peep to this arrogant, vulgar creature _still_ damning him to all the Hells and forth.

Simply staring my to this spitfire`s annoyance, but Neji knew humans character all too well and thus reads right through this girls deception.

Not reacting or responding to her provocative conniption, was similar to the worst sin that he could have done when stumbling upon such a creature.

 _Ignoring_ her and people from Sharingan had one trait in common, depicted by the genius Uchiha Sasuke.

The sought to be acknowledged, they wanted someone to notice, to care, to stop pretending like nothing happen or turn the other way when passing by.

And his attitude now, after volte-facing from completely taken aback by this girl`s boldness -beauty- appeared impenetrable and detached.

Everything happened in the depths of his mind and never mirrored on his standoffish face.

"Oi, are you deaf? I`m talking to you, damn it!" She nudged him again, having the audacity to _touch_ him for the third time now he palms falling flat over his pectorals, only now noticing how incredibly sculpted, toned and deeply carved they were, under the facade of the cleverly oversized cheap clothes. "Huh?! The hell—"

She found herself dumbly exclaiming blubbing to herself as her hands remained perched on Neji`s chest, actually having a moment when her palms got warmer and something electric tingled over her spine, brimming along her legs down to discharge into her heels and toes; they curled into her sneakers for a reason unknown.

A light frown creased her porcelain face as she tried to comprehend the sudden sensation, her mouth going dry as she felt energy depleted.

"Will you be so kind to stop touching me so hungrily woman?" _That_ voice... it was only when this annoyingly rude stranger talked to her as she glanced skyward to confront the eyes of this imbecile and... froze altogether.

The curse she had concocted especially from him remained suspended on her slightly gasping lips when she saw those eyes and the face where they were encrusted like two colorless diamonds.

"Are you possibly having problems understanding simple questions? I kindly advise you to remove your hands from my person, it is rude and disturbing."

He was beautiful, undeniably so _wow_ \- this stranger, whoever he might be -because she knew everyone from the Sharingan- was superb, unbelievably gorgeous looking and that was nowhere near giving him praise for his natural beauty.

" _Nani_?" She murmured weakly still trapped between flaring lust sewed into a dreamy state and sprinkled with increasing acrimony and annoyance at his calloused attitude.

Never in her life has she seen someone so exotic looking, with all the lunar features and those eyes, that hue of pure pearls sprinkled with violets in bloom, translucent of a light blue that seemed translucent and blending with the white of his orbs, making it seems like he didn't has an iris.

Nonetheless, they were breathtakingly beautiful, shimmering into the embrace of the faint moonlight`s rays, enhancing the pearly natural radiance, boring into her very soul.

An irresistible shiver smoothed along her lips and something stuck into the back of her throat as she refused to breath for a moment, not blinking as her chocolate orbs flew wide as plates; staring into his eyes like trapped into a mesmerizing carousel ride, hypnotic, nonchalant, avant-garde and exquisite.

This man had the baronial high, sharp and elegant cuts of an aristocrat, even if he wore simple clothes that subtly, smartly concealed his obviously muscled physique and that left her imagination reel and do pirouettes in pure glee and fascination.

Desire seeped in uncontrollable droplets pelting into the pits of her navel when she realized that instead of obeying her annoying rasped command, her fingertips pressed into the plush of his wide chest, feeling his muscles shamefully in the middle of the street.

Touching a stranger so rather intimately, sexually. "You can stop the lecherous drools anytime, my dear,"

Then there was his voice to complement the figure of an archangel. God, this man`s baritone sounded laced with pure organza silk as it vibrated like a Spanish bass guitar, low and masculine and determined, but also sensual, perfectly pitched and velvety smooth.

"and I reiterate since you struggle with basic understanding —stop. touching. my. persona."

To emphasize his point —what was wrong with this dumbfounded tomboyish moron— Neji enfolded his long lean digits around her slim wrists, mapping her with a glace that barely gave out anything vaguely noticing how strong they were, albeit skinny, soft and small in comparison.

Praying her hands off his body, he clicked on his tongue exasperated with his own bodily uncontrollable sensations.

Her palm overflown with strength, obviously from hours of laborious practice and training, but nonetheless warm, soft and small fitting into his own as he kept them trapped between his big calloused hands, keeping them there between their chests; like cherishing a small inestimable treasure with the joy and care of an enthralled child catching fireflies in a serene august night.

"Let— let me go you pupil less moronic _freak_!" As soon as the scorching hotness of his body stropped overflowing through her palms enhancing sensations of lust and desires that never shall thru inside her belly, Tenten seethed and bridled again with more fervor than before.

"How dare _you_ touch me and bump into me like this! Let me go before I break your pretty neck—"

"—oh?" Mockingly with sheer sarcasm dripping from his now thin smile, he tilted his head on the side interjecting as he found it amusing how her cheeks puffed and blushed in pure rage at the insult.

"how`s so? You despise my behavior and yet you find me _pretty_ now? Aren`t you one little bipolar thing? Hasn't your _Mommy_ taught you not to be rude to adults, _kid_?"

He barely smothered a laugh when her mocha orbs simmered and frothed like two blazing volcanoes in pure unwound rage.

Shrugging him off and wiggling out of his grip, she stumbled shamefully two steps backwards when he purposely let her go at the same time when she hauled her hands from his grip, just to smirk triumphantly as her heel planted into a small, irregular aperture into the cement and propelled her backwards, landing straight on her butt, on a very compromising position. "Auch, what the fuck—"

She cursed under her beat as the impact send ripples of pain along the small of her back, her back landing beside her palms as they adhered to the abrasive surface, grazing her sensitive skin.

Her legs now lied spread wide open and the spandex shorts she wore only enhanced curves and feminine outlines that shall never be publicly exposed; especially before two young full-blooded males in the middle of a now empty back street. In Sharingan, nonetheless. "Stupid dipshit! I`ll get you for that and rip you a new on you demented _asshole_!"

He never saw it coming; Suigetsu actually scurried after a large dumpster refusing to be dragged between a 'lovers quarrel' as the woman shot onwards right form that laughable position and, curling her diners into a tight ball, she aimed for Neji`s smirking face, actually succeeding in landing a blow on his haw, a professional punch of an obvious boxer sending him shimmying three large steps backwards not being in time to avoid it; because he was far too stupefied of her conniption flaring to do anything.

"Oh man, that`s priceless!" Suigetsu couldn't help but erupt in a fit of obstreperous laughter collapsing onto the ground and unable to quench it; that was one of the best things he has ever seen and the spectacle was yet to unfold. "You have my respect girl! Fuck— that was awesome!"

The look on Neji`s face was lethal when he palmed the corners of his now tightly pressed lips with his fingertips, his shoulders crouched as he regained his balance. He felt blood soaking his plush fingertips as he brushed over his swelling jaw, not believing it that first time he gets into a brouhaha is with a _girl_ and into some sort of gangsters. What kind of place this was?!

"You," He hissed low on his chest like a venomous cobra and actually Tenten momentarily stopped as she marched in his direction like a serial killer, intent obvious etched on her twisted in anger face; his threat was... "are going to regret _that_ move, _kid_."

Albeit his last words were pejorative, his murderous tenue was anything _but_ playful and now Tenten realized that she might have picked on the wrong person.

Because out of all the delinquents in the Sharingan —and God was they plentiful- this newbie was definitely among the top-notch ones. She realized that he acted so stiff and standoffish and socially retarded purposefully, but he wasn't anything effeminized.

On the contrary now as he straightened his spine, not even flinching as blood oozed from his split bruised lower lip —deliciously heart shaped kissable lip— and slowly traipsed towards her, she felt a nub chocking her, nuzzling into the back of her throat.

"I`ll make you swallow those daring punches and vulgar words." She held her ground like a true athlete, but Tenten was afraid of him; she had all the rights to because those lunar orbs, pearly and lilac were dangerous.

"Or... _I`ll_ be making _you_ swallow something painfully reminiscent to my punches and shoes you brute!" Tenten shouted in Neji`s face as he dared to stop two steps -very small- steps in front of an addled her, shadowing and towering her much smaller form with his impressive height and muscled body.

Unlike Uchiha who was taller but more lithe and slender, Neji was bulkier and wore fitted clothes, thus his physique was as delicious as it was intimidating, but Tenten _never_ backed down in fear. "I warn you that I`ve just get out of arrest."

"Should _that_ trivia impress me, hm? Where do you think that _we_ are coming from? Disneyland? Wonderland?"

Neji taunted actually amusing himself as panic exuded from every pore of this spitfire creature. She can play though but he read her like an open book, silently admiring her headstrong personality.

Arms crisscrossed over his chest in pure defiance, he smirked down at her, darkly, maliciously and suggestively.

"One could say that prisons and Federal Courts are our second residence," He barely murmured now leaning onwards to whisper into Tenten's astounded face as he twisted his words, telling her half of the truth. He never completed his phrase with 'as convicts or criminals' because the words were so intimidating and self-explanatory.

"the most dangerous criminals wanted in every single nation and making the headlines on Interpol`s lists? That`s our _entourage_ , darling."

And actually grinned at her in such a crooked way that something flashed dangerously into the depths of Tenten`s mocha orbs.

"Really now," She mocked as her voice slightly trembled as a token of how anxious she was, now crossing her arms too in some sort of defense manner or as shield between them.

"I don't believe ya`! Once in jail, someone like _you_ will be the 'daddy`s little girl' to every convict." She wasn't showing it on her face, but his proximity was overwhelming.

The warmth radiant from his chiseled body, the bad boy attitude with a hint of royalty in it, the prowess in his astounding eyes, the sparkling intelligence and those distinctive earmark smart, sexy retorts distracted her as the _woman_ in her responded; he was beyond _hot_. "Sucking cocks in jail isn`t exactly a trait that I look for in a dude."

"Does this mean that a tomboy like you, rude, infantile, short and illiterate actually _does_ have suitors? That`s some miracle that I don`t see happening anytime soon, _kid_."

"Stop calling me a _kid_ you— _you_ Halloween looking alien freak! I`m not a kid, I`m a woman! And you refuse to acknowledge that a woman kicked your scrawny ass—"

"—you are _not_ a woman per se you se, more like... a real bitch throwing a tantrum in the middle of the night. How rude. You have no manners thus wasting my goddamn time. Step aside, I`m not playing any games with _you_ here."

"It's not bitching you weakling moron, it`s _Tenten_!" She shouted in his face now as she closed in, cheeks puffing and blushing in fury as something about her rage was exciting to Neji. "My name is _Tenten_ and I am not one of your ordinary sluts for the nigh—"

"—I," He said low tucking the woman to him to whisper into her face. "do. not. give. a. flying. _fuck_ ," he actually swiveled on his heel and turned about leisurely strolling back to her, hissing in ways that not even Suigetsu imagined.

"about how would they name such a _feeble_ creature. Hn, you're pathetic." He said in a similar fashion to how Uchiha would ward someone annoying off, with a little more tact than Sasuke and walked off hands in his pockets learn the girl looking onwards like he was still there. "Now move. Let's go you, spineless moron,"

He cocked his head to beckon his dying of laughter friend who immediately frowned at the insult; then started hollering again realizing that he played the match because of the pretty girl. "you `re blocking my way."

A pang in Suigetsu`s chest cam as an unexplainable tug on his heart. He felt sympathy for this girl, because she had it rough but she was strong, incredibly valiant, independent and not clinging to anyone, pleading for mercy.

She earned her living fair, she struggled and fought to be someone, to make a living; he respected her.

Somehow... Neji has been too closed with this woman unnecessarily. But he couldn't help it, she had this amazing prowess to drive him mad, and hardly had something feminine in her bones. "Your only way is to Hell and is free to anyone to cross, idiot!"

"I said move the fuck away— what the _hell_?! Neji literarily spelled now as his orbs widened glancing over Tenten`s shoulder as the top now glanced across the empty street where the park spanned and only two functional bulbs flickered, barely providing enough illumination.

The shadows were distinguishable but just as he glimmered once thinking that his eyes were deceiving him, something jumped from the bushes and startled all of them.

* * *

Now Neji has seen and experienced far worse than this but how in the name of Lord could he explain three circus _clowns_ emerging from a dark alley of the park, dotted in peculiar colorful clothes, multicolored wigs perched atop their heads and veritable gothic horror makeup and... armed with chainsaws, _laughing_ at them as they stopped in the middle of the intersection. Looking at them pointedly with the tools in their hands and started.

"Dude... I think I saw a thriller with those freaks starring in it." Suigetsu mumbled as he, stupidly, couldn't stop laughing.

But that didn't come as a shocker to Hyuga who knew that Suigetsu was possibly the most mentally deranged, derailed and eccentric, masochistic character in the entire FBI. "Uh-oh... shit! Not _those_ loons..."

Tenten mumbled as somehow, all the acrimony and bad blood between them dissipated miraculously when a common enemy appeared.

Incredibly how one dangerous situation such as three clowns now dashed onwards with chainsaws in their hands, flailing them in their direction sufficed in uniting strangers and enemies. "Guys, I think that this is the moment when we all get the fuck out of here if we don't want to be chopped off by those idiots."

"Run— fucking _run_!" Neji urged as, unwittingly, spontaneously he tucked on Tenten`s hand as he evened their gingers together and, slapping Suigetsu on the back, the trio revved on their heels end literarily sprang in the opposite direction as those clowns were fast as Hell and right behind them approaching at a daunting rubberneck speed.

Laughing and talking like clowns in a gothic circus, now fueling the horror stories and phobias about clowns.

"Who the fuck are those nuts?!" Neji addressed to no one in particular just for the heck of it as adrenaline pumped through his vessels, now debating the same as Suigetsu.

Was it the best thing to run just to fit in and blend into the Sharingan, or stop dead their track, pull out their guns and fill them with bullets in self-defense?

No one would investigate it anyway if it happened in the Sharingan; any judge and a police officer would know that their lives were most probably in danger form the very first moment they stepped into the _forbidden area_ of Konoha.

Tenten felt obliged to retort as she tucked on the strap of her sports bag, stupidly tightening her hold around Neji`s warm hand, throwing a furtive peep backwards as she nearly tripped on a rock.

"Shit— they are former Mental Hospital escapees that found shelter into our _beloved_ hood," she gasped now as thy joggled even faster heading wherever Tenten dragged them since she got in the lead, smoothly maneuvering across the myriads of streets; shockingly that no one was traipsing on them.

"they lurk in the park near the small pond with dark swans and no one dares to approach carelessly at night, not even the most notorious druggies because they will slaughter anyone with the chainsaw or swords or any weapon that can slice heads from the body and limbs."

she explained casually as Neji and Suigetsu frowned now feeling a cold shiver course their spines.

"it's better not to cross paths with them but what I don't understand is why did they get out? They are still wanted by the police to be locked with the other demented people like… again!"

"How sweet to know, but how do we get rid of them?" Neji hissed now feeling a recent injury on his kneecap where he had a minor surgery sent pulsing pain though his leg but he refused to be seen limping.

"We hide, obviously!"

"Seriously?! Where`s your earlier bravado, kid?" Neji couldn't believe that they were being chased by demented clowns with a chainsaw and... Suigetsu was still dying laughing while running all the while attracting all the attention; he could see people peeping from their windows scowling at them or shouting at them to stop disturbing.

"Those people have things that cut limbs and heads and you ask me to fight them? Are you high or simply retarded?!"

"I could ask you the same thing, bitch! Get us into a hideout for God`s sake! You live here!" Because they were running down the alley now sinking further in toe 'Paradise' that the Sharingan was and so far, Neji felt like all his FBI sense were spiked.

Basically every single damn second he felt like someone was blowing on his nape like in a horror movie.

They tossed some dumpsters on the street as they rolled with the specific metallic sound, sprinkling all the waste across the street and...

Stray dogs, _ten_ of them started to chase them, as well as those motherfuckers running at an impressive high speed, tittering maliciously their eyes rimmed of makeup gleaming with dementia.

"Why don't _you_ lead us to the Motherboard, you greenhorn asshole!" She shouted right back at him whacking him in the shoulder while still holding his hand tight as they run like a married couple eloping to get married in secret, with Suigetsu being faster than both, running with his head tossed backwards and a hand around his midsection, tears in his eyes; he runs like those demented people escapees from the Mental Hospital, fueling Neji`s anger.

What the fuck was that idiot laughing about? There was nothing remotely amusing about that!

"My -gasp- home is -pant- five minutes away -pant- just across the minimark— -pant- minimarket."

Tenten felt her lungs scream for air as her day was one of the worst possible, now being short on money; half of her savings for a year went to pay for the goddamn bail just to get out of prison. Normally she would mind being jailed, but she had to train for an upcoming street competition that is going to sprinkle her with money as illegal betting went around.

"...you could have chosen a -pant pant pant- fuckin` shortcut!" Neji couldn't remember a day when he cursed and used course vocabulary like tonight, but goddamn it he was pissed off as _fuck_! Thank you Tsunade Senju for giving him the crappiest mission ever!

That wasn't a mission, it was _safari!_ All sorts of exotic specimens —serial killers cosplaying clowns and eccentric gangster women with issues— resided in there.

Albeit all of them were in a splendid physical condition, gasped and panted because of the adrenaline rush.

Neji and Suigetsu weren't scared -too much- but they had no idea how to react in such situations! Sharingan was different, so very _different_ from all the undercover missions.

It had a rhythm of its own, always spectacular, flamboyant, unpredictable and one wrong step could get them killed.

"Be thankful that I -pant- feel generous enough -pant- today to let two -pant- annoying newbie losers in my -pant- goddamn home! Jerk!"

"Gangsta` bitch!" Neji short right back to her as he gnarled at Suigetsu as the moron took a bat that he found dumped aimlessly on the street and swung it like a Japanese katana toward the rabid dogs , still cracking on laughter.

"Shut up you bloody twit! And stop trying to tease those dogs, they are going to bite our asses!"

"Your friend is even more ridiculous than you! Seriously, where the fuck did you guys get out from? The `70th?"

"Aren't we there yet— auch! Fucking shit!" She actually snorted as one of the dogs caught p to them and pushed its claws onto Neji`s shoe now tucking on it as it mistook it from a bone; he just had to wear white today...

"get this hysteric infested disgusting creature off my person _now_!" He started to jump around like a scared maid seeing a mice diving into the flour as he nearly made Tenten trip on her feet. "AISH! AHHH! LET GO LET GO you FILTHY BEASTS!"

Luckily as the three loons caught up to them, they ceased away he dogs with the ear-splintering sound of the chainsaws,

"Run run _run_ fucking run!" Tenten urged as Suigetsu tossed a pebble in the dog`s direction, now making it show his menacing fangs dripping with thick trails of saliva as it refused to let Neji go; of course, he hit the Hyuga in the knee, instead of aiming at the dog`s head. "Ah, what the heck?! Are you crazy?!"

"Suigetsu! I`m going to kill you!" Oh dear Lord the simmering pain in his knee _now_ successfully had Neji dies and lament in pain as he limped on his feet, letting go of Tenten`s hand deciding that he had _enough_ of this nonsense.

He had two fuckin` guns on him and he sure as hell won`t be chased by three crazy people and a barking stray dog—

"—eat this you beast!" Tenten just took one of her shoes and tossed it aside as it landed straight in the middle of the street, just in time for the dog to let Neji go after nearly ripping the leather off the now ragged shoe and dash backward. "Don't space out dude, move your legs idiot!"

"How much...?" He demanded as it was Tenten`s turn to grab his hand, an unwittingly reflex that she couldn't explain, pulling him with a harsh tuck, seeing how the dog run for dear life as the three clowns appeared from around the corner; their shadows looking like a Halloween prank going _so_ wrong.

This man was in obvious pain and for the first time since their unfortunate meeting, Tenten felt sympathy for him. She knew he was strong and sturdy but she was an athlete.

And judging by the way he clattered his teen, maxillaries were clenched painfully and his brow priced with beads of perspiration, she could imagine the extent of this pain; an old injury may be or a fresh surgery?

It shouldn't surprise her —though it did. The people who stumbled upon the Sharingan were all social rejects, criminals, gangsters, outlaws. Naturally, Neji and his friend called Suigetsu could be an exception.

They did not have the looks, but they had the traits. "Almost there!" She replied softer now as the simmering for in her chestnut eyes turned mellow.

She immediately wrapped a hand around his shoulder as Suigetsu joined his side —knowing all too well that Neji had a bullet removed surgically thanks for Sasuke missing his target— actually stopping laughing like a loon on helium, following Tenten`s lead.

"What is this?" Neji asked seeing a completely abandoned building where blocks should have been as Tenten wordlessly urged them through the maze of scary crappy looking buildings the type of most of the underserved crimes underwent.

Following a maze of rusted old construction machinery scattered around, obviously leaving the constructions unfinished. it looked like an abandoned factory.

"My home sweet home you ungrateful asshole." She whispered harshly lowering her voice as she knew that there was a lot of echo in the area, now feeling her muscles sore by the heaviness of Neji who, reluctantly and swallowing his manly pride, wrapped his right hand around her midsection -a bit _too_ tight- for support.

With the other one, he was punching Suigetsu`s ribs and forearm as the boy hissed in pain, purposely because he had to vent to someone and Uchiha was... God only knew where. "I can't hear those nuts anymore."

Suigetsu noted she now glanced around, feeling the tiny hair at the back of his nape and around his earlobe stand erect.

The place had no source of illumination except for the million stars glimmering into the night sky that spanned like an infinite ocean of darkness above them.

The remains of what looked like a factory with peeled, burned walls shrouded in vulgar graffiti, the bushes and vegetation growing aimlessly dangling from the windowless walls, the rocky terrain, the white weird particles of dust mingling into the sand, the holes that made them trip on their feet every two seconds, the rusty large tubes crossing the eerie landscape, the huge abandoned containers and engines that once pumped and roared with life and prosperity -as a vestige of the Sharingan once being prosperous and wealthy- the putrid stench of sewer, coals and waste and the most sinister sound of running water leaking along the walls because of the rain infiltrations and a ghostly infested river probably used as a cooling agent.

"This place gives me the creeps, girl." Suigetsu nodded absentmindedly not as an insult, but as an observation.

Tenten only nodded snoring humorlessly visibly not entertained by the idea of having to pass _this_ every fuckin` day , but such was life into the Sharingan.

"If I told you that 20 families including children making a living here would you believe me?"

She pointed in the direction of something furtive flickering into the rear of their eyes, just in time so that Suigetsu won't believe that the place was haunted. "

"You serious?" Now that she pointed it out as they passed a particularly sinister abandoned construction where high pyramids of rocks and marble dust littered the place, surrounded by rollers and excavators, he realized that Tenten was right; kids were mirthfully leaping around, playing with the construction materials, jolly whenever they found something one he abandoned site like they were gifts from Santa.

"Damn... isn't it dangerous for them to play here?" It was one of the most utterly _depressing_ and heart-jerking sights that Suigetsu has ever seen and, for the first time in his life, he felt his heart clench painfully.

Not that he and Neji were crybabies, but those people, the mothers chiding their small kids as they got dangerously close to the walls with decaying bricks, cradling toddlers in the arms only garbed in dirty rags, all having the same stare in their eyes; desperation.

They looked so hopelessly that one could ask himself how in the world did they find the power and courage to face the other day?

What type of motivation could one have to endure such misery and poverty? Their orbs were doe and listless, helpless and complacent as those people all looked older for their age; even the kids. they lost the innocence under the layers of filth and dust, all malnutrition and actually both Neji and Suigetsu suddenly understood Sasuke`s motivation to do something for those people, something more than just donations.

"What do they do for a living? Does anyone here have my job?" Neji broke a tensed awkward silence as Tenten maneuvered expertly through the maze of buildings and machines towards a part that was at least illuminated by a flickering pole, letting them have a taste of what Sharingan _really_ portrayed.

She responded to him shortly after in appreciation that they weren't stupid enough to make fun of what they saw, knowing that they were finally safe here —a trifling illusory concept where one struggled every moment of his life to survive.

"They all have petty small jobs here and there," he answered vaguely as she felt her own heart sink whenever she looked into the shimmering orbs of those kids, never accustomed to seeing angels forgot in a _decadent Paradise_ having their auras barely flickering.

"unimportant tasks that only bring them enough income to suffice for bread and fresh water. Most of them used to work here in the old iron factory."

She pointed to the abandoned large funnels and the rusty rails for coal transportation. "You see, the Sharingan used to be prosperous; it was a the most important metal-manufacturing center in Konoha. And people were wealthy and happy. But then years ago, a corrupt politician sold the entire industry to a private investor who was supposed to make it flourish into an Empire and naive people believed it."

She explained as her stare darkened now reaching to a small, four-story half-decent looking block, just across the abandoned factory.

"You now see the result of how _prosperous_ it became." She noted sarcastically as Neji frowned lightly.

"Who is this person?" Surprised that Sasuke never mentioned about the Sharingan being famous for its industry.

But then again, Neji didn't read any reports concerning the history of the place because they were only interested in the criminal rate.

"Who ruined something so huge?" Now glancing backward, an entire mini town spanned under the open sky, an eerie image of a formidable shocking grotesque that was even painful to watch; he could almost hear the sinister howl of silence and despair resonating and it was by far the scariest thing.

"You can easily forget about the livelier part of the town _here_ ," Neji noted as a subliminal voice whispered to him in alertness.

The Sharingan... might be more to the eye than _just_ an abnormally high rate of delinquents overflowing the streets. This place had a history, a painful one soaked in corruption and ambitions of some bastards just trying to get rich without caring whose lives they ruin. And now it felt like a duty for them to try and dig into the problem.

And Tenten was just the liaison they needed to connect with the local legends of this place. She was a nice woman and definitely sensitive, albeit her exterior was tough and calloused, but who could blame her?

She lived in a place where feelings and sentiments scattered like particles of sand going under the waves of the ocean. She had to adapt, to survive, to make a living.

Those people were forever denied happiness, Neji noted and similar thoughts crossed Suigetsu's mind too albeit not that poetic.

"Indeed, don't ya? There is like a whole other town trapped into the Sharingan. I like it in here, it is more secluded and intimate. I need silence and privacy and not constantly pay attention to the rapists, druggies or serial killers who might force the lock on my door or try to break through the window. Ain`t time for that shit."

She explained answering their unvoiced question and... there was beauty in the urban decadence as they noted that the place was surrounded by nothing but stars and empty decrepit walls.

"Here, let me fumble for the keys." She warned before raising her hand to dab the back of her pocket mumbling a vicious trail of curses as she found it hard to move freely with Neji leaning on her.

"Found it!" She chimed sarcastically trying to emphasize that she was living in a modest place, but still called it a home.

Tenten was never _ever_ shamed for who she was and where she lived. Dropkicking the door with her right foot and hastily stepping aside so as the boys could step inside, immediately slamming the door shut with a thud she locked it three times for safety measures.

She had money in here and food and thus didn't want uninvited trespassers barging in, albeit there were fewer burglars here than in the more bustling part of the Sharingan. "Don't you have electricity?"

"Obviously not." She shook her head at Suigetsu`s quest some who assign to him as it was a stupid inquiry w traipsing to the small table on he another side of the room where an oil lamp perched on it and filled it, lighting it as it flickered around the sole room now splintering that warm embers on the walls; Neji and Suigetsu both felt like their spine shuddered upon realizing that she lived there.

In a complete barren room with only one small bed, a table with the lamp on it, an old simple oak drawer and an adjacent space dug into the wall used as a kitchen with a single coal oven that most likely provided warmth during the winter.

"That, if you don't illegally steal electricity from the pole, but that would mean leaving anyone in a blackout; we have to be generous with our neighbors. It`s consensual. Everyone uses ovens for warmth and cooking here. Don't freak out _boys_ ,"

She smirked as she discarded her blouse remaining in only a black tank top, not in the bit bothered by the cold wind blowing through the old wooden window frames.

"Do you leave here... wow," Suigetsu couldn't help but feel so out of place as he traipsed to where the oven was, dabbing one of the coals as it felt cold to the touch, obviously because she was in jail and didn't use it. "Where do you get coals from?"

"From the abandoned factory. In fact, there are still some decent reserves for us to use and split among us but shhh—" She leaned onwards pressing her digits on her lip as she shared some sort of crucial secret.

"—don't tell anyone else. We don't want the entire Sharingan to march in here and steal it from us. Those lowlife greedy bastards... they will leave us all without any source of fire and no one wants to march to the side forest and chop off trunks. That is the dream job of the corrupt assholes what rich by illegal wood trafficking and rumors has it that someone _big_ has just landed into the Sharingan to exploit it."

"Someone big as in… who?"

"My— you are full of questions for a newbie aren't you?" She teased Neji as she instructed him to sit on the bad and he didn't protest as his knee burned now rounding it to crunch to the nightstand and dive in for a first aid kit to badge his fragile bone.

"Well, I guess that this zeal will soon be crushed as you are with the daily struggle of living in this _Paradise"_

She shot sarcastically as smirking when finding the bottle of iodine and first aid supplies. Suigetsu and Neji both exchanged jaded glances noticing how she referred to the Sharingan in a pejorative but hopeful way similar to the way Sasuke did whenever he conversed about the Sharingan.

It only proved just how deeply attached and connected he was to that place and his inhabitants to borrow their peculiar vernacular. "Here, pull those ugly pants up."

"What for?" Neji quirked a skeptical eyebrow up glancing northward as the woman kneed in front of him, looking at him like he was a mentally deranged stupid patient.

"To look at your wound obviously what else?" She then lowered her long curly eyelashes as she winked at him now speaking so seductively low that Neji thought she was bipolar, mocking him. "Don`t worry, usually when I give heads I warn first."

He absolutely did _not_ want to hear such a comment now feeling the veins popping around his pale orbs twitch angrily at her trite language and her accent; she had a heavy accent that was clearly not from Konoha, obviously being a foreigner but he refrained from asking her where was she from. Probably from the last century judging from the way she lived -like a cavern man.

"Now that sounds reassuring, Arigatou gozaimashita," he sputtered sardonically as he reluctantly complied when she rolled her orbs and tucked on his pants, not wanting those hands to touch him. "sadistic bitch..."

Not that she was an ugly woman but hearing that she used to... do _things_ with those hands to various men made him feel apprehensive about the bacteria and disease.

He didn't want to call her _slut_ because she has been kind enough to invite them over and collect them from the streets and be a guide but still... she had a way of startling him and making him feel like traipsing on hot needles or charcoals, always on guard and... jumpy. "Asshole!"

"Where are the friendly clowns who welcome us in the neighborhood?"

"They are afraid to get in this part of the town."

"Why? Does it remind them of the Mental Hospital?" Suigetsu smirked as his canine gleamed into the poor light that the lamp provided traipsing around like a kid she found some weight lifts and box gloves neatly placed beside her bed, noticing how heavy they were. She trained like ancient warriors in this abandoned place. No wonder that Tenten was a good former champion of Konoha.

"Nope. They think that the Circus burned to ashes and the ghosts of the spectators still haunt this place. They are scared of ghosts, shadows.

Probably because they have been tortured in darkness and thus that triggers nightmares into their wandering minds... who knows. They always turn away and run from this place. "So she knew from the start where to lead them.

"Why did you have us over? We are strangers and potential threats since you don't know us." Neji noted she flinched briefly when Tenten disinfected the wound that the pebble left, courtesy to Suigetsu's fantastic aim.

He snarled at him and glared suggestively mumbling something along the lines of _'you`re an even shittier shooter than Uchiha'_ making the man laugh silently at him.

Not because he was moping and moaning but because he turned into putty in front of the girl.

A _www, look at them, the lovey doves_ , Suigetsu couldn't help but burst into another short round of chortles imaging Neji Hyuga, the ridiculously rich bachelor and heir of the infamous Hyuga Clan finding love in _this_ shitty place.

Oh damn— that was priceless! Now if Uchiha falls in love with Haruno Sakura, things would get _very_ entertaining for Suigetsu; and he was very bored person already sick of the daily routine.

"You my friend," Tenten briefly turned to map him as he played with the oven like a kid shaking her head in disbelief, mumbling. "have one hell of a problem."

"He`s just mentally retarded, don't pay him any heed— aish, be careful with that! Damn woman it burns!"

"Stop being such a whiney bitch," She berated as he flinched when she cleaned his wound with disinfectant. "this one was cheaper." pointing it to the fact that the one who didn't burn or sting was more expensive thus she didn't afford such luxuries.

"Mind you, this is for emergencies. Usually I don't use it for something so trifling but you are such a crying _girl_."

Neji couldn't help but let his milky orbs pan her athletic appearance, noticing that her skin, albeit milky and supple and so beautiful and smooth to the touch, was creased by scars and injuries that were still yet to heal, left untreated.

Her knuckles were purple and had traces of stickers and calloused skin for the punches, especially since she was also a street fighter.

But it did nothing to diminish her beauty as a woman, on the contrary, she was admirable as she lived alone in this place.

"You said something about a corrupt politician bringing this place down more than a decade ago, correct?"

Neji challenged again as her shoulders tensed obviously not liking to chatter about how trashy life here was.

She only nodded as she finished wrapping the badge around his leg expertly, then collecting her medical supplies and heading to the sink.

Tenten turned on the faucet and let the freezing water rinse the bubble of the small bar of lavender soap of her delicate hands; she had beautiful hands for a boxer, Neji noted aimlessly.

"Who was he? Do you have a name? I can imagine that it went through all the media and caused furors at that time?"

A new idea kindled into the front of Neji's mind as he thought about a possible connection between the ones who brought the downfall over hits place and Haruno Kizashi`s arrival, albeit ten years made it impossible for them to be linked.

 _What if the bankruptcy of the prosperous industry was all planned? And how can Tsunade not warn them about that? Or she didn't know? Nah... Sasuke most likely informed the Hag about every single trivia._

"Actually no. The real owner hid behind his marionettes as they pose as shareholders and stepped into the public place.

But rumors floated around and... I don't know what to make of it or how much is actually truth but a name circulated around, especially from the oldest workers from the factory."

She leaned against the side wall with one of her legs resting diagonally on it, sighing and glancing on her chest like meditating.

"Name? What name?" Suigetsu babbled in a way that didn't make it seem like they were _dying_ to know about it, making it look like they were having a mere friendly innocent conversation; in reality, they were thirsty for information.

"I think it was a higher up in the Government or Police or something," she shrugged seemingly indifferently as she fine combed her digits through her chocolate locks untying her signature buns now digging into the wardrobe in search for clothes to change, her tune muffled by the pile of scattered materials.

"I think it was _hm_ — Shimura," She left two people literally gasping like fishes out of tank behind her back at the name she dropped out of nowhere. "… _Danzo_ Shimura or something..."

' _Wait, what?!'_

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 **Author`s Note:** This was initially supposed to be part of the second chapter as well, but I split it in two parts since it took me a little bit longer to spellcheck soo… here it is!

Many many many _many_ thanks to you guys for everything; sincerely, arigatou gozaimashita! *bow*


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